Liquid drop discharge method and discharge device; electro optical device, method of manufacture thereof, and device for manufacture thereof; color filter method of manufacture thereof, and device for manufacturing thereof; and device incorporating backing, method of manufacture thereof, and device for manufacture thereof

ABSTRACT

A liquid drop discharge device provides a head unit  420  which discharges filter element material relative to each of various colors of color filters. The head unit  420  is composed of an ink jet heads which are arranged on one end of a print substrate plate having a shape of rectangular card and head devices  433  which are arranged on the other end of the print substrate plate comprising connectors  441 . The head devices  433  are aligned in two rows, as two groups, in a staggered arrangement so that a portion on which the connectors  441  are aligned in one of the two rows does not face to the same portion of the other in the two rows and protrudes outside of the print substrate plate. The head unit  420  discharges the filter element material onto predetermined portions in a superimposing manner while shifting along a direction which intersects to a direction along which the head devices  433  are arranged.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge method and devicefor discharging a liquid mass which has a certain flowability.

[0002] And, the present invention relates to an electro optical devicesuch as a liquid crystal device, an electroluminescent device, anelectrical migration device, an electron emission device or a PDP(Plasma Display Panel) device or the like, to a method of manufacture ofan electro optical device for manufacturing such an electro opticaldevice, and to a device for manufacturing the same. Furthermore, thepresent invention relates to a color filter which is used in an electrooptical device, and to a method of manufacture of such a color filterand to a device for manufacturing the same. Yet further, the presentinvention relates to a device which comprises a backing such as anelectro optical member, a semiconductor device, an optical member, areagent inspection member or the like, and to a method of manufacture ofsuch a device which comprises such a backing and to a device formanufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] In recent years display devices which are so called electrooptical devices, such as liquid crystal devices and electroluminescentdevices and the like, have become widespread as display sections forelectronic devices such as portable telephones, portable computers andthe like. Furthermore, recently, it has become common to provide a fullcolor display upon such a display device. A full color display upon sucha liquid crystal device is provided, for example, by passing light whichhas been modulated by a liquid crystal layer through a color filter. Andsuch a color filter is made by arranging filter elements of variouscolors such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue) in dot form upon thesurface of a substrate plate which is made from, for example, glass orplastic or the like in a predetermined array configuration such as a socalled stripe array, delta array, or mosaic array or the like.

[0004] Furthermore, a full color display upon such an electroluminescentdevice is provided by, for example, arranging electroluminescent layersof various colors such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue) in dot formupon the surface of a substrate plate which is made from, for example,glass or plastic or the like in a predetermined array configuration suchas a so called stripe array, delta array, or mosaic array or the like,and sandwiching these electroluminescent layers between pairs ofelectrodes so as to form picture elements (pixels). And, by controllingthe voltage which is applied between these electrodes for each pictureelement pixel, a full color display is provided by causing light of thedesired colors to be emitted from these picture elements.

[0005] In the past, there has been a per se known method of usingphotolithography when patterning the filter elements of a color filterof various colors such as R, G, and B, or when patterning the pictureelements of an electroluminescent device of various colors such as R, G,and B. However there are certain problems when using thisphotolithography method, such as the fact that the process iscomplicated, the fact that large quantities of the color material or thephotoresist are consumed, the fact that the cost becomes high, and thelike.

[0006] In order to solve this problem, a method has been contemplated offorming a filament or an electroluminescent layer or the like as a dotform array by discharging in dot form a filter element material or anelectroluminescent material by an ink jet method.

[0007] Now, a method of making a filament or an electroluminescent layeror the like as a dot form array by an ink jet method will be explained.The case will be considered in which, as shown in FIG. 29(a), aplurality of filter elements 303 which are arrayed in dot form areformed, based upon an ink jet method, upon the internal regions of aplurality of panel regions 302 shown in FIG. 29(b) which are establishedupon the surface of a so called motherboard 301 which is a substrateplate of relatively large area which is made from glass, plastic or thelike. In this case, as for example shown in FIG. 29(c), while performinga plurality of episodes of main scanning (in FIG. 29, two episodes) fora single panel region 302, as shown by the arrow signs A1 and A2 in FIG.29(b), with an ink jet head which has a plurality of nozzles 304 whichare arranged in a linear array so as to constitute a nozzle row 305,filter elements 303 are formed in the desired positions by dischargingink, i.e. filter material, selectively from this plurality of nozzlesduring these main scanning episodes.

[0008] These filter elements 303 are ones which are formed by arrayingvarious colors such as R, G, and B and the like as described above in asuitable array form such as a so called stripe array, delta array, ormosaic array or the like. Due to this, in the ink discharge processingby the ink jet head 306 shown in FIG. 29(b), ink jet heads 306 for justthe three colors R, G, and B are provided in advance, so as to dischargethe single colors R, G, and B. And a three color array including R, G,and B or the like is formed upon the single motherboard 301 by usingthese ink jet heads 306 in order.

[0009] On the other hand, if a plurality of panel regions 302 are formedupon the motherboard 301, then it has been contemplated to form thefilter element 303 at high efficiency by using an ink jet head ofelongated form so that the ink jet head is positioned alongsubstantially the entire extent of the widthwise dimension of themotherboard 301, which constitutes its widthwise direction with respectto the main scanning direction of the ink jet head. However there is theproblem that, if a motherboard 301 is utilized whose size is differentfrom and does not correspond to the size of the panel regions 302, everytime this happens, a different ink jet head comes to be required, andaccordingly the cost is increased.

[0010] Because the ink jet head has a mechanism in which ink ispressurized by a pressing means, for instance a piezo electric crystal,it is necessary wirings through which signal to drive the piezo electriccrystal passes. According to the above necessity, a head device whichcomprises a board on which a ink jet head and a connector by which acircuit for driving the ink jet head are integrally mounted is utilized.

[0011] However, it is necessary to consider a working efficiency inwiring the ink jet heads, a layout of the head devices so as to obtain adesired print pattern, and an noise prevention in designing anarrangement of the head devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention has been conceived in view of the abovedescribed considerations, and its objective is to provide: a liquid dropdischarge device and a discharge method which are prevented from beinginfluenced by an electrical noise and are easy in a construction, aelectro optical device, a method and device of manufacture thereof, acolor filter, a method and device of manufacture thereof, a deviceincorporating backing, a method and device of manufacture thereof.

[0013] (1) A discharge device according to the present inventionproposes a plurality of discharge means each of which comprises a liquiddrop discharge head provided with nozzles which discharge liquid masshaving a certain flowability onto an object onto which liquid drops areto be discharged, a mounting board on which the liquid drop dischargehead is mounted, and a connector which is arranged on the mountingboard, a holding means on which the plurality of discharge means arearranged; and a shifting means for relatively shifting at least one ofthis holding means and the object onto which liquid drops are to bedischarged. According to an aspect of the present invention, theplurality of discharge means are aligned to be separated into groups ofdischarge means and the discharge means in one of the groups areorientated so that their connectors do not face the discharge means inthe other of the groups, and so as to orientate a plane, on which thenozzles of the liquid drop discharge heads are aligned, to face asurface of the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged at apredetermined distance.

[0014] With the present invention having the above structure, becausethe plurality of discharge means, which comprise the liquid dropdischarge heads and connectors on the mounting board, are arranged onholding means, it becomes to be easier to compose the discharge device,and the productivity of manufacturing the discharge device increases.Because the connectors of one the groups do not face the discharge meansin the other of the groups, a portion of the mounting board of one ofthe groups on which the connectors are arranged is orientated to anouter side of the mounting board where opposes to the liquid dropdischarge head of the other of the groups, and therefore an efficiencyof wiring to the connectors increases. According to the discharge meansthus wired, because a mutual influence among the electrical noise fromthe connectors is prevented, the discharge of the liquid mass isstabilized.

[0015] It is desirable for the discharge means of the present inventionto form the mounting board in a rectangular shape and also to provide aliquid drop discharge head in one longitudinal end of the mounting boardand a connector in another longitudinal end of the mounting board. Dueto the above construction, it becomes easier to layout the plurality ofdischarge means so that the portion on which the connectors of one ofthe groups are arranged does not face to the discharge means of theother of the groups and directs outer side which opposes to a directionto face to the liquid drop discharge head of the other of the groups.And therefore the discharge device is in a state in which the connectersof one of the groups are apart from the discharge heads of the other ofthe groups and an efficiency for wiring the connectors and a workingrate for wiring the connectors increase.

[0016] It is desirable for the discharge means of one of the groups,which is orientated so that the portion in which the connectors arearranged does not face to the discharge means of the other of thegroups, to be arranged so that the discharge means of one of the groupsare arranged point symmetrically with the discharge means of the otherof the groups. Due to the above construction, the connectors of the oneof the groups are located in a position which is farthest from theconnectors of the other of the groups, which are arranged pointsymmetrically with the other of the groups, and therefore, a efficiencyof wiring increases and influences of electrical noise decrease.

[0017] It is desirable for the discharge means to further comprise aliquid supplying means which supplies liquid mass to the dischargemeans, the liquid supplying means connects a supply tube from positionsbetween the groups of discharge means to each of the discharge means ineach group of discharge means so as to supply the liquid mass to each ofthe discharge means. Due to the above constructions, the liquid mass issupplied through the supply tube from the positions between the groupsof discharge means to each of the discharge means, and the supply tubesthrough which the liquid mass flows are combined as a single line in anintermediate position of the each tubes. Therefore an efficiency ofpiping for the tubes and an efficiency of a maintenance thereofincrease. Further, a displacement and a damage of the tubes due to aninterference among the one of the tubes and other of the tubes.

[0018] It is desirable for the liquid supplying means to comprise a tankwhich stores the liquid mass, a supplying tube through which the liquidmass flows, a pump which supplies the liquid mass in the tank to theliquid drop discharge head of the liquid discharge means through thesupply tube, a plurality of the supply tubes are provided for each ofthe liquid drop discharge heads and which piping paths are located frompositions between the groups of discharge means to each of the dischargemeans. Because the supplying tubes through which the liquid mass flowsare located from positions between the groups of discharge means to eachof the discharge means, in a piping by which the liquid is distributed,a flow resistance in one of the supplying tubes equals to the other ofthe supplying tubes. A discharge rate of one of the supplying tubesequals to a discharge rate of the other of the supplying tubes whichdimensions are same as one of the supplying tubes. Because a commonlydischarge is established by supplying tubes having same dimensions, aproductivity of the discharge device increases.

[0019] It is desirable for the discharge device to comprise a pluralityof wirings which connects a control means to the connectors of thedischarge means, wherein the plurality of wirings are wired from anouter periphery of the holding means to the connectors. Because theplurality of wirings are wired from an outer periphery of the holdingmeans to the connectors, influences of one of the wirings to the otherare prevented, and it is possible to stably discharge the liquid mass.

[0020] It is desirable for the discharge device to comprise a pluralityof discharge heads which are aligned along a plurality of lines whichintersect to a direction along which the liquid drop discharge heads areshifted relative to the surface of the object onto which liquid dropsare to be discharged. According to such a structure, the liquid dropdischarge heads are arranged so that the liquid drop discharge heads areinclined with respect to a direction along which the liquid dropdischarge means are shifted in order to set the pitch, i.e. theinterval, between the nozzles relative to the pitch at which the liquidmass is discharged, and an interference between various one of thedischarge means to the other of the discharge means next to the variousone of the discharge means is prevented. Therefore, a productivity ofthe discharge device increases and an influence of an electric noise isprevented. p0 (2) With the present invention, it is convenient tomanufacture an electro optical device by forming an electro-luminescentlayer by, with the liquid mass which is to be discharged being a liquidmass which includes an electro-luminescent material, discharging thisliquid mass against, as the object against which liquid drops are to bedischarged, a substrate plate.

[0021] (3) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacture acolor filter which is an electro optical device by, with the liquid masswhich is to be discharged being a liquid mass which includes a colorfilter material, discharging this liquid mass against, as the objectagainst which liquid drops are to be discharged, one of a pair ofsubstrate plates between which a liquid crystal is to be sandwiched.

[0022] (4) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacturecolor filters of various colors by, with the liquid mass which is to bedischarged being a liquid mass which includes a color filter material,discharging this liquid mass against a substrate as the object againstwhich liquid drops are to be discharged.

[0023] (5) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacture adevice which comprises a backing, wherein a predetermined layer isformed upon the backing by discharging a liquid mass which is endowedwith a certain flowability against the backing, which is the object ontowhich liquid drops are to be discharged, by a discharge method of one ofthe types described above.

[0024] According to the present invention, the discharge means,comprising the liquid drop discharge heads and the connectors beingarranged on the mounting board, are separated into the groups andmounting board is orientated so that the portion the on which theconnectors of one of the groups are arranged does not face to thedischarge means of the other of the groups, and the liquid dropdischarge head is shifted relative to the object onto which liquid dropsare to be discharged while a plane in which the nozzles are aligned laysalong the surface of the object onto which liquid drops are to bedischarged so as to discharge the liquid mass to the object onto whichliquid drops are to be discharged, therefore, it is possible toconstruct the discharge means easier compared with respectivelyconstructing the plurality of liquid drop discharge means withcorresponding connectors and also possible to increase a manufacturingefficiency. And the mounting board is orientated so that the portion onwhich the connectors of one of the groups are arranged does not face tothe discharge means of the other of the groups, and the portion on whichthe connectors are arranged is orientated so that the portion faces tothe outer periphery of the mounting board which is opposite with theliquid drop discharge head, and therefore, it is possible to easily wirethe connectors and also to increase a manufacturing efficiency. Further,by the connectors thus arranged in the discharge means it is possible toprevent a noise from one of the connectors which influences to the otherof the connector and also possible to stably discharge the liquid mass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid drop dischargeprocessing device of a liquid drop discharge device of a device formanufacture of a color filter according to the present invention, with aportion thereof cut away.

[0026]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a head unit of the same liquid dropdischarge processing device.

[0027]FIG. 3 is a side view of the same.

[0028]FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the same.

[0029]FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the same.

[0030]FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the same head device.

[0031]FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the same ink jet head.

[0032] FIGS. 8(A) thorough 8(C) are a set of explanatory views forexplanation of the operation of the same ink jet head for dischargingfilter element material.

[0033]FIG. 9 is an explanatory view for explanation of the dischargeamount of filter element material by the same ink jet head.

[0034]FIG. 10 is a schematic view for explanation of the way in whichthe same ink jet head is arranged.

[0035]FIG. 11 is a partially magnified schematic view for explanation ofthe way in which the same ink jet head is arranged.

[0036]FIG. 12(A) is a general figure showing a color filter which hasbeen manufactured by the same device for manufacturing a color filter,and is a plan view of the color filter

[0037]FIG. 12(B) is a sectional view taken in a plane given by thearrows X-X in its view FIG. 12(A).

[0038]FIG. 13 is a manufacturing process sectional view for explanationof the procedure for manufacturing this color filter.

[0039]FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing one portion of a displaydevice which employs an electro-luminescent display element which is anelectro optical device according to the present invention.

[0040]FIG. 15 is a magnified plan view showing the planar structure of apicture element region of the same display device.

[0041] FIGS. 16(A) through 16(E) are a manufacturing process sectionalview showing a procedure for preliminary processing of the process ofmanufacture of the same display device.

[0042] FIGS. 17(A) through 17(C) are a manufacturing process sectionalview showing a procedure for discharge of electro-luminescent materialin the process of manufacture of the same display device.

[0043] FIGS. 18(A) through 18(D) are another manufacturing processsectional view showing a procedure for discharge of electro-luminescentmaterial in the process of manufacture of the same display device.

[0044]FIG. 19 is a sectional view showing a picture element region of adisplay device which employs an electro-luminescent display elementwhich is an electro optical device according to the present invention.

[0045]FIG. 20(A) is a magnified figure showing the structure of apicture element region of a display device which employs anelectro-luminescent display element which is an electro optical deviceaccording to the present invention and shows the planar structurethereof.

[0046]FIG. 20(B) is a sectional view taken in a plane shown by thearrows B-B in its view 20(A).

[0047]FIG. 21 is a manufacturing process sectional view showing aprocess of manufacture for manufacturing a display device which employsan electro-luminescent display element which is an electro opticaldevice according to the present invention.

[0048]FIG. 22 is another manufacturing process sectional view showing aprocess of manufacture for manufacturing a display device which employsan electro-luminescent display element which is an electro opticaldevice according to the present invention.

[0049]FIG. 23 is yet another manufacturing process sectional viewshowing a process of manufacture for manufacturing a display devicewhich employs an electro-luminescent display element which is an electrooptical device according to the present invention.

[0050]FIG. 24 is still yet another manufacturing process sectional viewshowing a process of manufacture for manufacturing a display devicewhich employs an electro-luminescent display element which is an electrooptical device according to the present invention.

[0051]FIG. 25 is yet a further manufacturing process sectional viewshowing a process of manufacture for manufacturing a display devicewhich employs an electro-luminescent display element which is an electrooptical device according to the present invention.

[0052]FIG. 26 is a still yet further manufacturing process sectionalview showing a process of manufacture for manufacturing a display devicewhich employs an electro-luminescent display element which is an electrooptical device according to the present invention.

[0053]FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing a personal computer which isan electronic device equipped with the same electro optical device.

[0054]FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing a portable telephone whichis an electronic device equipped with the same electro optical device.

[0055] FIGS. 29(A) through 29(C) are figures showing one example of amethod of manufacture of a prior art color filter.

[0056]FIG. 30(A) is a view showing a display device according to anotherpreferred embodiment of the electro optical device according to thepresent invention, and is a schematic plan view.

[0057]FIG. 30(B) is a sectional schematic figure taken in a plane shownby the arrows AB in its view FIG. 30(A).

[0058]FIG. 31 is a view showing an essential portion of the same displaydevice.

[0059]FIG. 32 is a process diagram for explanation of the method ofmanufacture of the same display device.

[0060]FIG. 33 is another process diagram for explanation of the methodof manufacture of the same display device.

[0061]FIG. 34 is a schematic plan view showing one example of a plasmaprocessing device which is utilized in the manufacture of the samedisplay device.

[0062]FIG. 35 is a schematic view showing an internal structure of afirst plasma processing chamber of the plasma processing device shown inFIG. 34.

[0063]FIG. 36 is a process diagram for explanation of the method ofmanufacture of the same display device.

[0064]FIG. 37 is another process diagram for explanation of the methodof manufacture of the same display device.

[0065]FIG. 38 is a schematic plan view showing another example of aplasma processing device which is utilized in the manufacture of thesame display device.

[0066]FIG. 39 is a plan view showing a liquid drop discharge devicewhich is utilized in the manufacture of the same display device.

[0067]FIG. 40 is a plan view showing the state in which an ink jet headis arranged upon a base member.

[0068] FIGS. 41(A) through 41(C) are process diagrams for explanation ofa process when forming a positive hole injection and transport layerwith a first scan of an ink jet head.

[0069] FIGS. 42(A) through 42(C) are process diagrams for explanation ofa process when forming a positive hole injection and transport layerwith a third scan of an ink jet head.

[0070] FIGS. 43(A) through 43(C) are process diagrams for explanation ofa process when forming a positive hole injection and transport layerwith a second scan of an ink jet head.

[0071]FIG. 44 is a process diagram for explanation of the method ofmanufacture of a display device which is another embodiment of anelectro optical device according to the present invention.

[0072]FIG. 45 is a process diagram for explanation of the method ofmanufacture of the same display device.

[0073]FIG. 46 is a process diagram for explanation of the method ofmanufacture of the same display device.

[0074]FIG. 47 is another process diagram for explanation of the methodof manufacture of the same display device.

[0075]FIG. 48 is yet another process diagram for explanation of themethod of manufacture of the same display device.

[0076]FIG. 49 is still yet another process diagram for explanation ofthe method of manufacture of the same display device.

[0077]FIG. 50 is a figure showing the sectional structure of a liquidcrystal device which is equipped with a color filter which is made bythe manufacturing device according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT RELATEDTO A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF A COLOR FILTER, AND A DEVICE FORMANUFACTURING THE SAME

[0078] Next, a preferred embodiment of the device for manufacture of acolor filter according to the present invention will be explained withreference to the figures. First, before explaining this device formanufacture of a color filter, the color filter which is to bemanufactured will be explained. FIG. 12 is a figure which shows aportion of the color filter in a magnified view; its view 12(A) shows aplan view thereof, while the view 12(B) shows a sectional view thereoftaken in a plane shown by the line X-X in FIG. 12(A). It should beunderstood that, with this color filter shown in FIG. 12, the portionsfor which the structure is the same as that of corresponding portions inthe color filter of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5 aredesignated by the same reference symbols.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE COLOR FILTER

[0079] First, a preferred embodiment of a color filter manufactured by amanufacturing device according to the present invention will beexplained with reference to the figures. FIG. 12 is a partiallymagnified view of the color filter, and FIG. 12(A) is a plan view of thecolor filter and FIG. 12(B) is a sectional view taken in a plane givenby the arrows X-X in its view 12(A).

STRUCTURE OF THE COLOR FILTER

[0080] Referring to FIG. 12(A), the color filter 1 comprises a pluralityof picture elements 1A arranged in the form of a matrix. The boundariesof these picture elements 1A are defined by division walls 6. Colorfilter element material 13, i.e. color filter material which is a liquidmass which is either red (R), green (G), or blue (B) ink, is distributedinto each one of these picture elements 1A. Although, in the followingexplanation of this color filter which is shown in FIG. 12, it will beassumed that the red, green, and blue picture elements are arranged in aso called mosaic array, this is not intended to be limitative: the sameexplanation would also apply in the case of a stripe array, a deltaarray or the like being utilized for the arrangement of the pictureelements.

[0081] The color filter 1, as shown in FIG. 12(B), comprises atransparent substrate plate 2 and transparent division walls 6. Theportions where these division walls 6 are not formed, in other words theportions where they are eliminated, constitute the above describedpicture elements 1A. The filter element material 13 of various colorswhich is supplied into these picture elements 1A constitute the filterelements 3 of various adhered color layers. A protective layer 5 and anelectrode layer 5 are formed over the upper surfaces of the divisionwalls 6 and the filter elements 3.

STRUCTURE OF THE DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURE OF THE COLOR FILTER

[0082] Next, the structure of a device for manufacturing the abovedescribed color filter will be explained with reference to the drawings.FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid drop discharge processingdevice of a device for manufacturing the color filter according to thepresent invention with one portion thereof cut away.

[0083] This device for manufacture of a color filter is adapted tomanufacture a color filter which is to be incorporated in a color liquidcrystal panel, which constitutes an electro optical device. This devicefor manufacture of a color filter comprises a liquid drop dischargedevice which is not shown in the figures.

STRUCTURE OF THE LIQUID DROP DISCHARGE PROCESSING DEVICE

[0084] And this liquid drop discharge device comprises three individualliquid drop discharge processing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B, as shownin FIG. 1, in the same manner as the liquid drop discharge devices ofthe various preferred embodiments described above. These liquid dropdischarge processing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B correspond to thethree colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue) of the filter elementmaterials 13 of, for example, R, G, and B colors, which are the colorfilter materials, in other words the inks, which are to serve as liquidmasses for being discharged against the motherboard 12. It should beunderstood that these liquid drop discharge processing devices 405R,405G, and 405B are arranged approximately in series, thus making up theliquid drop discharge device. Furthermore, a control device forcontrolling the operation of various structural members, not shown inthe figures, is provided integrally with each of the liquid dropdischarge processing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B.

[0085] Moreover, it should be understood that each of the liquid dropdischarge processing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B is connected to anindividual transportation robot not shown in the drawings, each of whichinserts and takes out motherboards 12, one at a time, into and from itsrespective liquid drop discharge processing devices 405R, 405G, and405B. Furthermore, to each of the liquid drop discharge processingdevices 405R, 405G, and 405B there is connected a multi stage bakingfurnace, not shown in the drawings, which is capable of accommodating,for example, six of the motherboards 12 at a time, and which subjectsthe motherboards 12 to heat processing by heating them up, for exampleat a temperature of 120 degree Celsius for a period of five minutes, fordrying out the filter element material 13 which has been dischargedagainst the motherboards 12.

[0086] And, as shown in FIG. 1, each of the liquid drop dischargeprocessing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B comprises a thermal cleanchamber 422 which is a hollow box shaped main body casing. In order toobtain properly stabilized painting by the ink jet method, thetemperatures of the interiors of these thermal clean chambers 422 areadjusted to, for example, 20±0.5 degree Celsius, and they are formed sothat dust or dirt cannot insinuate itself into them from the outside.The liquid drop discharge processing device main bodies 423 are housedwithin these thermal clean chambers 422.

[0087] The liquid drop discharge processing device main body 423comprises an X axis air slide table 424, as shown in FIG. 1. A mainscanning drive device 425, to which a linear motor not shown in thefigures is provided, is disposed upon this X axis air slide table 424.This main scanning drive device 425 comprises a pedestal portion notshown in the figures to which the motherboard 12 is fixedly attached by,for example, suction, and this pedestal portion is shifted in the mainscanning direction, which is the X axis direction, with respect to themotherboard 12.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 1, a widthwise scanning drive device 427 whichserves as a Y axis table is disposed in the liquid drop dischargeprocessing device main body 423 as positioned above the X axis air slidetable 424. A head unit 420 which discharges filter element material 13,for example, in the vertical direction is shifted by this widthwisescanning drive device 427 along the widthwise scanning direction withrespect to the motherboard 12, which is the Y axis direction. It shouldbe understood that, in FIG. 1, the head unit 420 is shown by solid linesin its state in which it floats in the air, in order to clarify thevarious positional relationships.

[0089] Furthermore various cameras not shown in the drawings areprovided in the liquid drop discharge processing device main body 423,and these are position detection means which detect various positions ofvarious elements, for controlling the position of the ink jet head 421and/or the position of the motherboard 12. It should be understood thatit is possible to implement position control of the head unit 420 or ofthe pedestal portion by position control using pulse motors, or byfeedback control using servo motors, or by some other control method, asmay be appropriate.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a wiping unit 481 which wipesoff the surface of the head unit 420 which discharges filter elementmaterial 13 is provided to the liquid drop discharge processing devicemain body 423. In this wiping unit 481, a wiping member not shown in thefigures in which, for example, a cloth member and rubber sheet areintegrally superimposed is appropriately wound up from its one end, andthe wiping unit 481 is arranged to wipe the surface which dischargesfilter element material 13 using new surfaces of this wiping member inorder. By doing this, elimination of filter element material 13 whichhas adhered to the discharge surface is performed, and it is possible toprevent the occurrence of blockages of certain nozzles, which will bedescribed hereinafter, in the surface which discharges filter elementmaterial 13.

[0091] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, an ink system 482 is provided tothe liquid drop discharge processing device main body 423. This inksystem 482 comprises an ink tank 483 which stores filter elementmaterial 13, a supply conduit 478 which is capable of conducting thisfilter element material 13, and a pump not shown in the drawings whichsupplies filter element material 13 to the head unit 420 from the inktank 483 via the supply conduit 478. It should be understood that thepiping of the supply conduit 478 is only shown schematically in FIG. 1,and it is connected to the side of the widthwise scanning drive device427 so as not to exert any influence from the ink tank 483 upon theshifting of the head unit 420, and so as to supply filter elementmaterial 13 to the head unit 420 from the vertical direction of thewidthwise scanning drive device 427 which drives the head unit 420 toperform scanning.

[0092] Furthermore, a weight measurement unit 485 which detects theamount of discharge of filter element material 13 from the head unit 420is provided to the liquid drop discharge processing device main body423.

[0093] Yet further, a pair of dot missing detection units 487 areprovided to the liquid drop discharge processing device main body 423,and these dot missing units 487 comprise, for example, optical sensorsnot shown in the drawings which detect the discharge state of filterelement material 13 from the head unit 420. Moreover, these dot missingdetection units 487 are arranged so that light sources and lightreception portions of their optical sensors not shown in the figures arearranged along a crossing direction with respect to the direction inwhich the liquid mass is discharged from the head unit 420, for examplealong the X axis direction, and lie on either side of, and mutuallyoppose one another across, the space through which the liquid dropswhich have been discharged from the head unit 420 pass. Furthermore,these dot missing detection units 487 are arranged so as to bepositioned on the Y axis direction side which is the transport directionof the head unit 420, and they detect dot missing by, for each episodeof widthwise scanning shifting, detecting the discharge state of thehead unit 420 for discharging the filter element material 13.

[0094] Although the details thereof will be described hereinafter, itshould be understood that two rows of the head device 433 whichdischarges filter element material 13 are provided to the head unit 420.Due to this, a pair of the dot missing detection units 487 are alsoprovided for detecting the discharge state, one for each row of thesehead devices.

STRUCTURE OF THE HEAD UNIT

[0095] Next, the structure of the head unit 420 will be explained. FIG.2 is a plan view showing the head unit 420, which is provided in each ofthe liquid drop discharge processing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B. FIG.3 is a side view of this head unit 420. FIG. 4 is an elevation view ofthis head unit 420. And FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing this headunit 420.

[0096] As shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, the head unit 420 comprises a headmain body portion 430 and an ink supply section 431. Furthermore, thishead main body portion 430 comprises a planar carriage 426 and aplurality of head devices 433 fitted upon this carriage 426, all ofwhich are, in practice, of roughly the same structure.

STRUCTURE OF THE HEAD DEVICE

[0097]FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a head device 433which is provided to the head unit 420.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 6, this head device 433 comprises a printsubstrate plate 435 which has a shape of rectangular card. Electricalconnecting wires which connect various electrical components 436 areprovided upon this print substrate plate 435. Furthermore, a windowportion 437 is formed through the print substrate plate 435, positionedat one end thereof (the right end in FIG. 6) along its longitudinaldirection. Yet further, flow conduits 438 which are capable of carryingflows of filter element material 13, i.e. of ink, are provided in theprint substrate plate 435 and are positioned at opposite sides of thewindow portion 437.

[0099] And an ink jet head 421 is integrally fitted by a fitting member440 upon one surface side (the lower surface side in FIG. 6) of thisprint substrate plate 435, and is positioned approximately at one endthereof in its longitudinal direction (the right end in FIG. 6). Thisink jet head 421 is formed in an elongated parallelepiped shape, and itis fixed to the print substrate plate 435 with its lengthwise directionrunning along the lengthwise direction of the plate 435. It should beunderstood that each of the ink jet heads 421 of each of the headdevices 433 is in practice of approximately the same type, in otherwords, for example, may be a product made to a predetermined standard,or may be sorted to a predetermined quality, or the like. In concreteterms, each of these ink jet heads 421 comprises the same number ofnozzles which will be described hereinafter, and it is desirable for thepositions in which these nozzles are formed to be mutually the same, sothat it is possible efficiently to perform the operation of assemblingthese ink jet heads 421 to the carriage 426, and so that, furthermore,it is possible to enhance the accuracy of that operation. Yet further,it is possible to reduce the cost if components are utilized which areproduced via the same manufacturing and assembly process, since therequirement for manufacturing special components disappears.

[0100] Furthermore, connectors 441 for electrically connectingelectrical connecting wires 442 to the ink jet head 421 are integrallyfitted on the other surface side of the print substrate plate 435 (theupper side in FIG. 6), so as to be positioned approximately at the otherend thereof (the left end in FIG. 6) in its longitudinal direction. Asschematically shown in FIG. 1, electrical connecting wires 442(including connecting wires from an electrical power source andconnecting wires for carrying signals) which are connected to thewidthwise scanning drive device 427 are connected to these connectors441, so as not to exert any influence upon the shifting of the head unit420. These connecting wires 442 are connected to a control device notshown in the figures, and to the head unit 420. In other words theseelectrical connecting wires 442, as schematically shown by the doubledotted broken arrows in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, are connected from thewidthwise scanning drive device 427 to the connectors 441 which areconnected to the outer peripheral sides of the head unit 420, which areon opposite sides of the direction (the longitudinal direction) in whichthe two rows of head device 433 of this head unit 420 are aligned, andthereby the generation of electrical noise is minimized.

[0101] Yet further, an ink supply section 443 is fitted to the othersurface side of the print substrate plate 435 (the upper surface side inFIG. 6), approximately at one end thereof (the right end in FIG. 6) inits longitudinal direction, so as to correspond to the ink jet head 421.This ink supply section 443 comprises position determination tubularportions 445 of roughly cylindrical form which pass through the printsubstrate plate 435 and into which position determination pin portions444 which are provided upon the fitting member 440 are fitted, andengagement claw portions 446 which engage with the print substrate plate435.

[0102] Moreover a pair of connecting members 448 are provided so as toproject from the ink supply section 443, and these members 448 are ofapproximately cylindrical form and have tapered ends. These connectingmembers 448 have through openings not shown in the figures which, attheir base end portions which are presented towards the print substrateplate 435, connect in a substantially liquid tight manner to the flowconduits 438 of the print substrate plate 435, and their tip endportions (at their upper ends in FIG. 6) are provided with holes notshown in the figures through which flows of filter element material 13may be conducted.

[0103] Still further, as shown in FIGS. 3 through 6, a sealingconnecting member 450 is fitted to each to these connecting members 448,positioned at its tip. These sealing connecting members 450 are made inroughly cylindrical form, and their interior circumferences are fittedto the connecting members 448 in a substantially liquid tight fashion;and they are provided with seal members 449 at their tip end portions.

STRUCTURE OF THE INK JET HEAD

[0104]FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view showing the ink jet head421. FIG. 8 consists of schematic sectional views of the ink jet head421 for explanation of the operation of the ink jet head 421 fordischarge of filter element material 13, and, in detail, FIG. 8(A) showsthe state of the ink jet head 421 before discharging filter elementmaterial 13, FIG. 8(B) shows its state when discharging filter elementmaterial 13 by contracting a piezoelectric drive element 452, and FIG.8(C) shows its state directly after having discharged filter elementmaterial 13. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view for explanation of thedischarge amount of filter element material by the ink jet head 421. AndFIG. 10 is an overall schematic view for explanation of the situation ofarrangement of the ink jet head 421. Moreover, FIG. 11 is a magnifiedview showing a portion of FIG. 10.

[0105] The ink jet head 421, as shown in FIG. 7, comprises a roughlyrectangular shaped holder 451. In this holder 451 there are provided tworows of piezoelectric drive elements 452 which extend along thelongitudinal direction, each including, for example, 180 individualpiezo elements. Furthermore, through holes 453 are provided in theholder 451, roughly on both sides thereof in the center, for conductingflows of the filter element material 13, i.e. of the ink, and thesethrough holes 453 connect to the flow conduits 438 of the printsubstrate plate 435.

[0106] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, an elastic plate 455 which ismade from composite resin in the form of a sheet is integrally providedupon the upper surface of the holder 451, which is the surface uponwhich the piezoelectric drive elements 452 are positioned. Communicatingholes 456 which connect to the through holes 453 are provided upon thiselastic plate 455. And engagement holes 458 are provided through thiselastic plate 455 for engagement with position determination clawportions 457 which project from the upper surface of the holder 451,approximately at its four corners, so as to fix the position of theelastic plate 455 upon the upper surface of the holder 451 and to holdit integrally thereupon.

[0107] Furthermore, a planar flow conduit definition plate 460 isprovided upon the upper surface of the elastic plate 455. In this flowconduit definition plate 460 there are provided: two rows of nozzlegrooves 461, each formed as a line extending in the longitudinaldirection of the holder 451 of 180 elements, elongated in the widthdirection of the holder 451, which correspond to the piezoelectric driveelements 452; two opening portions 462 which are provided in elongatedform in the longitudinal direction of the holder on either side of thesenozzle grooves 461; and two flow apertures 463 which connect to thecommunicating holes 456 of the elastic plate 455. And engagement holes458 are provided in this planar flow conduit definition plate 460 forengagement with the position determination claw portions 457 whichproject from the upper surface of the holder 451 approximately at itsfour corners, and thereby the planar flow conduit definition plate 455is fixed upon the upper surface of the holder 451 and is held integrallythereupon, along with the elastic plate 455.

[0108] Furthermore, a roughly planar nozzle plate 465 is provided uponthe upper surface of the flow conduit definition plate 460. And twonozzle rows are provided in this nozzle plate 465 to extend in thelongitudinal direction of the holder 451, each of these two rows, inthis example, being about 25.4 mm (1 inch) long, and consisting of 180roughly circular shaped nozzles 466 which correspond to the nozzlegrooves 461 which are formed in the flow conduit definition plate 460.And engagement holes 458 are provided in the nozzle plate 465 forengagement with the position determination claw portions 457 whichproject from the upper surface of the holder 451 approximately at itsfour corners, and thereby this nozzle plate 465 is fixed upon the uppersurface of the holder 451 and is held integrally thereupon, along withthe elastic plate 455 and the planar flow conduit definition plate 460.

[0109] And, as schematically shown in FIG. 8, along with a liquidreservoir 467 being defined, by the elastic plate 455, the flow conduitdefinition plate 460 and the nozzle plate 465, as a compartment at theopening portions 462 of the flow conduit definition plate 460, thisliquid reservoir 467 is connected via a liquid supply conduit 468 toeach of the nozzle grooves 461. Due to this, the ink jet head 421operates the piezoelectric drive elements 452 to magnify the pressurewithin the nozzle grooves 461, and discharges filter element material 13from the nozzles 466 at a speed of 7±2 m/sec as liquid drops of mass2-13 pl, for example about 10 pl. In other words, referring to FIG. 8,by supplying a predetermined supply voltage Vh in the form of pulses tothe piezoelectric drive element 452, as shown in order in FIGS. 8(A),8(B), and 8(C), the piezoelectric drive elements 452 are appropriatelyexpanded and contracted along the direction of the arrow Q, and therebypressure is applied to the filter element material 13, in other words tothe ink, so as to discharge the filter element material from the nozzles466 as liquid drops 8 of a predetermined mass.

[0110] Furthermore, with this ink jet head 421, as has also beenexplained with regard to the above described preferred embodiments, itmay happen that the discharge amount at either or both of the endportions of the nozzle rows along the direction in which they extend maybecome great as shown in FIG. 9, so that undesirable deviations mayoccur in the amount of discharge. Due to this, control is exerted so asnot to discharge filter element material 13 from the nozzles 466 forwhich the undesirable deviations of the discharge amounts are to berestrained within a range of, for example, 5%, in other words from about10 of the nozzles 466 at each end of each row.

[0111] And, as shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, the head main bodyportion 430 which is included in the head unit 420 comprises a pluralityof head devices 433 which comprise ink jet heads 421, mutually arrangedin a row. The arrangement of these head devices 433 upon the carriage426 is that, as schematically shown in FIG. 10, they are arrayedgenerally along the Y axis direction which is the widthwise scanningdirection, while being offset along a direction which is inclined withrespect to the X axis direction, which is the main scanning directionand is perpendicular to the Y axis direction. In other words, forexample, six such head devices 433 are arranged in a row in a directionwhich is somewhat inclined from the Y axis direction which is thewidthwise scanning direction, and several such rows are provided, forexample two rows. This is a method for arrangement which has beenconceived of due to the circumstance that it is necessary for the rowsof nozzles 466 to be arrayed in a continuous series along the Y axisdirection, while on the other hand it is not possible to shorten thespace left open between each ink jet head 421 and the next oneneighboring it, since the width in the longer direction of the headdevices 433 is greater than that of the ink jet heads 421.

[0112] Furthermore, in the head main body portion 430, the head devices433 are arranged roughly in point symmetry, with the longitudinaldirections of the ink jet heads 421 being inclined to the direction (theY axis direction) which is perpendicular to the X axis direction, andmoreover with the connectors 441 being positioned at the opposite sideto the relatively opposing direction. These head devices 433 may bearranged so that the direction of provision of their nozzles 466, whichis the longitudinal direction of the ink jet heads 421, is inclined at,for example, 57.1 degree with respect to the X axis direction.

[0113] Furthermore, the head devices 433 are arranged in roughly astaggered arrangement, in other words so that they are not positioned ina direct series along the direction in which they are arranged. In otherwords, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 5 and in FIG. 10, the ink jet heads421 are arranged in two rows, with the nozzles 466 of the twelve (inthis example) ink jet heads 421 being arranged continuously along the Yaxis direction, and moreover with the orders in which they are arrangedalong their Y axis direction being arranged mutually differently, sothat they alternate.

[0114] This matter will now be explained in concrete terms and in moredetail, based upon FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Therein, on the ink jet head421, the direction in which the nozzles 466 are arrayed, which is thelongitudinal direction, is tilted with respect to the X axis direction.Due to this, a region A (a region of non-discharging nozzles), whichcomes to be positioned within the ten nozzles which do not discharge onthe other second row of the nozzles 466, is present (A in FIG. 11) uponthe straight line in the X axis direction upon which the eleventh nozzle466 in the first row among the two rows of nozzles 466 which areprovided to the ink jet head 421, and which discharges filter elementmaterial 13, is positioned. In other words, with a single ink jet head421, a region A occurs in which no two discharge nozzles 466 are presentupon a straight line in the X axis direction.

[0115] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, no other headdevices 433 which form the row are positioned in a parallel state alongthe X axis direction over the region B (B in FIG. 11) in which twodischarge nozzles 466 of a single ink jet head 421 are positioned upon astraight line in the X axis direction. Furthermore, the region A of ahead device 433 which defines one row in which only one discharge nozzle466 is positioned upon the straight line in the X axis direction, andthe region A of a head device 433 which defines the other row in whichonly one discharge nozzle 466 is positioned upon the straight line inthe X axis direction, are positioned in a state of being mutuallyparallel in the X axis direction, while, with an ink jet head 421 of onerow, and an ink jet head 421 of the other row, the situation is that atotal of two discharge nozzles 466 are positioned upon a straight linein the X axis direction.

[0116] In other words, over the region in which the ink jet heads 421are arranged, they are arranged in a staggered manner (mutuallydiffering) in two rows, so that, in whatever position, without anydoubt, a total of two of the nozzles 466 are positioned upon any line inthe X axis direction. It should be understood that the nozzles 466 inthe regions XX in which the nozzles 466 do not discharge filter elementmaterial 13 are not counted as being included in the count of twonozzles 466 upon any straight line in the X axis direction.

[0117] In this manner, with regard to the X axis direction along whichmain scanning is performed, two of the nozzles 466 which actuallydischarge ink are positioned upon a fictitious straight line whichextends along the scanning direction (the straight line itself is notsomething which actually exists); and, as will be described hereinafter,ink comes to be discharged upon a single spot from both of these twonozzles 466. If a single element is built up in this manner by dischargefrom several different ones of the nozzles 466, undesirable deviationsof discharge between the various ones of the nozzles 466 are dispersed,and it becomes possible to anticipate an evening of the characteristicbetween the various elements and an enhancement of yield, since, when asingle element is built up by discharge from only a single nozzle 466,undesirable deviations in the discharge amounts between different onesof the various nozzles 466 are linked with undesirable deviations in thecharacteristics of the elements and with a deterioration in the yield.

STRUCTURE OF THE INK SUPPLY SECTION

[0118] The ink supply section 431, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 5,comprises a pair of planar fitting plates 471 which are provided tocorrespond to the two rows of the head main body portions 430respectively, and a plurality of supply main body portions 472 which arefitted to these fitting plates 471. And the supply main body portions472 comprise reciprocating portions 474 which are generally shaped asthin cylinders. These reciprocating portions 474 are fitted with afitting jig 473 so as to pass through the fitting plates 471 and so asto be shiftable along their axial directions. Furthermore, thereciprocating portions 474 of the supply main body portion 472 arefitted so as to be biased in the direction to shift away from thefitting plate 471 towards the head device 433 by, for example, coilsprings 475 or the like. It should be understood that, in FIG. 2, onlyone of the two rows of head devices 433 is shown in the ink supplysection 431, while the other of the rows of head devices 433 is omittedfor the convenience of explanation.

[0119] Flange portions 476 are provided at the ends of thesereciprocating portions 474 which oppose the head device 433. Theseflange portions 476 project like brims from the outer peripheral edgesof the reciprocating portions 474, and their end surfaces contactagainst the seal members 449 of the ink supply section 443 of the headdevice 433, and are impelled by the biasing action of the coil springs475 so that they form a substantially liquid tight seal thereagainst.Furthermore, joint portions 477 are provided at the opposite endportions of the reciprocating portions 474 to the ends where the flangeportions 476 are provided. These joint portions 477 are connected to theone ends of supply conduits 478 which conduct flows of filter elementmaterial 13, as schematically shown in FIG. 1.

[0120] These supply conduits 478, as described above and asschematically shown in FIG. 1, are connected to the widthwise scanningdrive device 427 so as not to influence the shifting of the head unit420, and, as schematically shown by the single dotted broken lines inFIGS. 2 and 4, they are arranged from the widthwise scanning drivedevice 427 roughly centrally between the ink supply sections 431 whichare arranged in two rows upon the head unit 420, and furthermore theirtip ends radiate out from the pipe-work and are connected to the jointportions 477 of the ink supply sections 431.

[0121] And the ink supply sections 431 supply filter element material 13which is conducted via the supply conduits 478 to the ink supplysections 443 of the head devices 433. Furthermore, the filter elementmaterial 13 which is supplied to the ink supply sections 443 is suppliedto the ink jet heads 421, is discharged in the form of appropriateliquid drops from each of the nozzles 466 of the ink jet heads 421,according to electrical control.

OPERATION OF MANUFACTURE OF THE COLOR FILTER PREPARATORY PROCESSING

[0122] Next, the operation of manufacturing a color filter 1 using theabove described device for manufacture of a color filter according tothe above described preferred embodiment of the present invention willbe explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 13 is a manufacturingprocess sectional view for explanation of the procedure of manufactureof the color filter 1, using the above described device for manufactureof a color filter according to this preferred embodiment.

[0123] First the surface of a motherboard 12, which is a transparentsubstrate plate made from non-alkaline glass of dimensions, for example,0.7mm thick, 38 cm high, and 30 cm wide, is cleaned with a cleaningfluid which is 1% by mass of hydrogen peroxide added to hot sulfuricacid. After this cleaning, the plate is rinsed with water and dried inair, so that a clean surface is obtained. A chromium layer of averagethickness 0.2 μm is formed upon the surface of this motherboard 12 (in aprocedure S1 in FIG. 13) by, for example, a spattering method, so as toobtain a metallic layer 6 a. After drying this motherboard 12 upon a hotplate at a temperature of 80 degree Celsius is for five minutes, a layerof photo-resist not shown in the figures is formed upon the metalliclayer 6 a by, for example, spin coating. A mask film not shown in thefigures upon which is painted, for example, a required matrix pattern isadhered upon the surface of this motherboard 12, and the whole is thenexposed to ultraviolet light. Next, this motherboard 12 which has beenthus exposed is immersed in, for example, an alkaline developing fluidwhich contains 8% by mass of potassium oxide, and the non-exposedportion of the photo-resist is thereby eliminated, so that the resistlayer is patterned. Next, the exposed portion of the metallic layer 6 ais removed by etching with an etching liquid of which, for example, themain component is hydrochloric acid. By doing this, a reticulated lightinterception layer 6 b is obtained (in a procedure S2 in FIG. 13); thislayer 6 b is in the form of a black matrix having the predeterminedmatrix pattern. It should be understood that the thickness of this lightinterception layer 6 b is about 0.2 μm, while the widthwise dimension ofthe strands which make up this light interception layer 6 b is about 22μm.

[0124] Next, a negative type transparent acrylic type light sensitiveresin composition material layer 6c is formed upon the motherboard 12equipped with this light interception layer 6 b by, for example, a spincoating method or the like (in a procedure S3 in FIG. 13). Afterpre-baking the motherboard 12 equipped with this light sensitive resincomposition material layer 6c at a temperature of 100 degree Celsius fora period of 20 minutes, it is exposed to ultraviolet light using a maskfilm not shown in the figures which is painted thereon in the form of amatrix pattern. And the non exposed portion of the resin is developedby, for example, an alkaline developing fluid like the type describedabove, and, after the work-piece has been rinsed with pure water, it isspin dried. After-baking is then performed at, for example, atemperature of 200 degree Celsius for a period of 30 minutes, andthereby, when the resin portion has been sufficiently cured, areticulated bank layer 6d is formed. The thickness of this bank layer 6dmay be, for example, an average of 2.7 μm, and the widthwise dimensionof the strands which make it up may be, for example, about 14 μm. Thedivision walls 6 are constituted (in a procedure S4 in FIG. 13) by thisbank layer 6d and the light interception layer 6 b.

[0125] Next the work-piece is processed with dry etching, in other wordswith plasma processing, in order to improve the wettability by ink ofthe filter element formation regions 7 (and particularly of the exposedsurfaces of the motherboard 12), which are the regions, destined foradhesion of a color filter material layer, into which the motherboardhas been compartmented by the light interception layer 6 b and the banklayer 6 d which have been produced as described above. In concreteterms, the preliminary processing process of the motherboard 12 iscompleted by forming a plasma processing etching spot in which a highvoltage is applied in a mixture gas consisting, for example, of heliumwith a 20% admixture of oxygen, and by passing the motherboard 12through this etching spot which has been formed and etching it.

DISCHARGE OF THE FILTER ELEMENT MATERIAL

[0126] Next, filter element material 13 of each of the colors red (R),green (G), and blue (B) is fed by an ink jet method into the filterelement formation regions 7 which have been defined by the divisionwalls 6 by dividing up the motherboard 12 by the above describedpreliminary processing which has been thus performed; in other words,ink is discharged into these regions 7 (in a procedure S5 in FIG. 13).

[0127] When discharging this filter element material 13 by this ink jetmethod, the head unit 420 comprising the predetermined nozzle plate 465of the above described specification is made and assembled in advance.And, in the liquid drop discharge devices of each of the liquid dropdischarge processing devices 405R, 405G, and 405B, the discharge amountof the filter element material 13 which is discharged from a single oneof the nozzles 466 of each of the ink jet heads 421 is adjusted to apredetermined amount, for example approximately 10 pl. On the otherhand, the division walls 6 are formed in advance upon the one surface ofthe motherboard 12 in a lattice pattern.

[0128] And, first, the motherboard 12 which has been subjected to theabove described preliminary processing is transported by a transportrobot not shown in the figures to the interior of the liquid dropdischarge processing device 405R for R color ink, and is placed upon thepedestal portion within this liquid drop discharge processing device405R. The motherboard 12 is then fixed in position upon this pedestalportion by, for example, suction, so that its position is positivelydetermined. And the position of the motherboard 12 held upon thepedestal portion is checked with various cameras and the like, and it isshifted by the main scanning drive device 425 and is controlled so as tobe regulated to a suitable predetermined position. Furthermore, the headunit is suitably shifted by the widthwise scanning drive device 427, andits position is detected. After this, the head unit 420 is shifted inthe widthwise scanning direction, and the discharge state of from thenozzles 466 is detected with the dot missing detection unit 487, and ifit is detected that no improper discharge state is occurring, the headunit 420 is shifted into its initial position.

[0129] After this, the motherboard 12 is scanned in the X direction bythe main scanning drive device 425 while being held upon the movablepedestal portion, and appropriate filter element material 13 isdischarged from predetermined ones of the nozzles 466 of suitable onesof the ink jet heads 421 while shifting the head unit 420 relative tothe motherboard 12, and is filled into the concave portions into whichthe motherboard 12 has been compartmented by the division walls 6. Thisdischarge from the nozzles 466 is controlled by a control device notshown in the figures, so as not to discharge filter element material 13from the nozzles 466 which are positioned in a predetermined region X atboth end portions in the direction in which the nozzles 466 shown inFIG. 11 are arranged, for example from the 10 nozzles 466 at each end ofthis row arrangement, while on the other hand a comparatively uniformamount of the filter element material 13 is discharged from the 160nozzles 466 (for example) which are positioned at the central portion ofthis row arrangement.

[0130] Furthermore, since two of the discharges from the nozzles 466 arepositioned upon a straight line in the scanning direction, in otherwords, since two of the nozzles 466 are positioned upon a singlescanning line, and since, during shifting, two dots—in more detail, twoliquid drops of filter material 13 as one dot from a single nozzle466—are discharged into a single concave portion (a single filterelement formation region 7), accordingly a total of eight liquid dropsare thus discharged. The state of discharge during each single episodeof shifting scanning is detected by the dot missing detection unit 487,and it is checked that no missing of dots is taking place.

[0131] If the occurrence of dot missing is detected, the head unit 420is shifted by a predetermined amount in the widthwise scanningdirection, and the operation of discharging filter element material 13is again repeated while shifting the pedestal portion which is holdingthe motherboard 12, so as to form the filter elements 3 in thepredetermined filter element formation regions 7 of the predeterminedcolor filter formation regions 11.

DRYING AND CURING

[0132] And, the motherboard 12 upon which the R color filter elementmaterial 13 has been discharged is taken out from the liquid dropdischarge processing device 405R by a transport robot not shown in thefigures, and then is put into a multi stage baking furnace also notshown in the figures, in which the filter element material is dried by,for example, heating the motherboard 12 up to 120 degree Celsius forfive minutes. After this drying, the motherboard 12 is taken out fromthe multi stage baking furnace by a transport robot, and is transportedwhile it cools down. After this, the motherboard is transported from theliquid drop discharge processing device 405R in order to a liquid dropdischarge processing device 405G for G color filter element material 13,and then to a liquid drop discharge processing device 405B for B colorfilter element material 13, and therein G colored and B colored filterelement material 13 is discharged in order into the predetermined filterelement formation regions 7, in the same manner as was done for makingthe R colored filter portions. And the motherboard 12 upon which thesethree colors of filter element material 13 have been discharged, andwhich has been dried, is recovered and is subjected to heat processing,in other words is heated up so that the filter element material 13 ishardened and is better adhered (in a procedure S6 in FIG. 13).

MANUFACTURE OF THE COLOR FILTER

[0133] After this, a protective layer 4 is formed over substantially theentire surface of the motherboard 12 upon which the filter element 3 hasbeen formed as described above. Furthermore, an electrode layer 5 madefrom ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is formed in an appropriate pattern upon theupper surface of this protective layer 4. After this the motherboard isbroken apart into the individual separate color filter formation regions11, so as to form a plurality of color filters 1 (in a procedure S7 inFIG. 13). As has been explained in connection with previously describedembodiments of the present invention, each of these substrate platesupon which a color filter 1 has been formed is utilized as one of thesubstrate plates for a liquid crystal device.

EFFECTS OF THE DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURE OF THE COLOR FILTER

[0134] According to this preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through13 further beneficial operational effects are experienced.

[0135] In detail, the ink jet heads 421, upon one surface of which arearranged the plurality of nozzles 466 from which the filter elementmaterial 13, for example ink, which is a liquid mass which has a certainflowability, is arranged on the one surface of the print substrate plate435. The head device 433 which acts as the discharge means provides theconnector 441 to be connected with a control means which controls thenozzle 466 to suitably discharge the filter element material 13 so as toextrude from the peripheral of the ink jet head 421. The head device 433discharges the filter element material 13 to a predetermined portion ofthe motherboard 12 by using the carriage 426 which provides a portion onwhich a part of the connectors 441 of the print substrate plate 435 arealigned so as not to face another portion on which the other of theconnectors 441 are aligned. The carriage 426 moves along the surface ofthe motherboard 12 relative to the motherboard 12 while one surface ofthe ink jet head 421 which comprises the nozzles 466 face to the surfaceof the motherboard with a predetermined distance. Because a plurality ofthe head device 433 which comprises the ink jet heads 421 and theconnectors 441, which are mounted on the carriage 426 by a predeterminedalignment, the discharge device is composed easier comparing withcomposing the plurality of ink jet heads 421 and the connectors 421relative to the ink jet heads 421 without mounting on the carriage, andtherefore it is possible to increase a product efficiency. The headdevices 433 are held by the carriage 426 in a manner that the portionwhere the connectors 441, by which the control device which controls thedischarge of filter element material 13 from the nozzles 466 of the inkjet head 421 are electrically connected, of one group of head device 433is orientated not to face to the ink jet head 421 of the other group ofhead device 433, and the portion where the connectors 442 of one groupare arranged is orientated to an outside which is oppose to the ink jethead 421 of the other group. Therefore, an efficiency of wiring to theconnectors 441 becomes easier and an efficiency of composing increases.Further, in influence of an electrical noise from a portion where theconnectors 441 are located to another portion decreases, and therefore,it is possible to stably discharge the filter element materials 13.

[0136] The print substrate plate 435 is formed like a shape of arectangular card. The ink jet head 421 is arranged in one longitudinalend portion of the print substrate plate 435 and the connector 441 isarranged in another longitudinal end portion of the print substrateplate 435. It is possible to complete a layout in which the connectors441 in one of the groups of the head device 433 is orientated so as notto face to the ink jet heads 421 of the other of the groups of the headdevice 433. Due to the above layout, it is possible to arrange the inkjet head 421 apart from the connector 441, and therefore, the wirings tothe connectors 441 become to be easier and the efficiency of maintainingof the wiring also becomes to be easier.

[0137] Further, the ink jet heads 421 are arranged in one end of theprint substrate plate 435 having a rectangular shape, and the connectorsare arranged in the other end of the print substrate plate 435.Therefore, in a case where the head devices 433 are aligned along asingle line, an interference between connectors 441 in one of the headdevices 433 and connectors in the other of the head devices 433 will beprevented and minimize an outline of the head devices 433. A linethrough which necessity numbers of nozzles 466 are aligned is formed,therefore an area in which any nozzles 466 do not exist is minimizedalong the main scanning direction without using an ink jet head having agreat number of nozzles which are aligned in a longitudinal direction.

[0138] Because the ink jet heads 421 in one of the groups are orientatedpoint symmetrically to the ink jet heads 421 in the other of the groups,it is possible to simplify the alignment of the supply conduits 478 in avicinity of the head unit 420 so as to easily compose and maintain thedevice.

[0139] Because, the connecting wires 442 for controlling the ink jetheads 421 are wired from the outer periphery of the head unit 420,namely from the outer periphery of the carriage 426, an influence of theelectrical noise from the connecting wires 442 is omitted so that a fineprinting pattern is obtained. The connecting wires 442 can be wiredapart from the supply conduits 478, therefore it is possible to composethe head unit 420 in ease and damages on the connecting wires 442 andsupply conduits 478 and a fluctuation in the discharge of the filterelement material 13 due to an entanglement of the connecting wires 442and supply conduits 478 are prevented.

[0140] Because the connectors 441 in one of the groups are aligned by apoint symmetrical manner so as not to face to the connectors 441 in theother of the groups, the connectors 441 are protected from an electricalnoise nearby the connectors 441 and a fine printing can be performed.

[0141] Furthermore, the ink jet heads 421 in which the nozzles 466 whichdischarge filter element material 13 which is a liquid having a certainflowability, for instance a ink, are provided on a single surface upon aplurality of substantially straight lines, and this surface is shiftedrelatively along the surface of the motherboard 12 while maintaining thestate in which a predetermined gap is kept between the surface uponwhich these nozzles 466 of the ink jet heads 421 are arranged and thesurface of the motherboard 12, which is the object against which theliquid drops are to be discharged, and the filter element material 13 isdischarged against the surface of the motherboard 12 from the nozzleswhich are positioned in the central portions of the rows, excluding thepredetermined regions XX, in other words without discharging any filterelement material from, for example, those ten nozzles 466 (the nondischarge nozzles), among all the nozzles 466 of the ink jet heads 421,which are positioned in the predetermined regions XX at both ends of thedirection in which these nozzles 466 are arranged. Since with thisstructure the filter element material 13 is discharged using the nozzles466 in the central portion of each row where the discharge amounts arecomparatively uniform, without discharging any liquid drops from the tennozzles 466 at each end of each row, which are the predetermined regionspositioned at both ends of the direction in which the nozzles 466 arearranged from which the discharge amounts would become particularlygreat, accordingly it is possible to discharge the filter elementmaterial against the surface of the motherboard 12 evenly and uniformly,and a uniform color filter 1 is obtained of an even quality, so that adesirable display is obtained from the resulting display device which isan electro optical device, using this color filter 1.

[0142] And, since no filter element material 13 is discharged from thosenozzles 466 for which, if such discharge were to be performed, thedischarge amounts would be more than about 10% greater than the averagevalue of discharge amount of filter material, accordingly, even in theparticular cases of using, as the liquid mass, a functional liquid massof filter element material 13 for a color filter 1, orelectro-luminescent material, or one including electrically chargedgrains for use in an electrical migration device or the like, noundesirable deviations occur in the performance characteristics, and itis possible reliably to obtain the desired characteristic for theelectro optical device such as an electro-luminescent device or a liquidcrystal device.

[0143] Furthermore, since the filter element material 13 is dischargedfrom the various nozzles 466 in amounts which vary within ±10% of theaverage value, accordingly the discharge amounts are comparativelyuniform, and the discharge upon the surface of the motherboard 12 isflat and uniform, so that it is possible to obtain an electro opticaldevice whose characteristic is a desirable one.

[0144] And, by using ink jet heads 421 whose nozzles 466 are arrangedupon a straight line at approximately equal intervals, it is possibleeasily to paint a structure upon the motherboard 12 according to anypredetermined standard pattern, such as, for example, a stripe typepattern, a mosaic type pattern, a delta type pattern, or the like.

[0145] Furthermore since, with this structure of the ink jet heads 421in which their nozzles 466 are arranged upon a straight line atapproximately equal intervals, the nozzles 466 are provided atapproximately equal intervals along the longitudinal directions of theink jet heads 421 which are formed as elongated rectangles, accordinglyit is possible to make the ink jet heads 421 more compact, and, sinceinterference between adjacent portions of each ink jet head 421 and theneighboring ink jet head 421 is prevented, accordingly this sizereduction can be performed easily.

[0146] Yet further, since the ink jet heads 421 are relatively shiftedin a direction which intersects the direction in which the nozzles 466are arranged in a state in which the direction of arrangement of thenozzles 466 is inclined to the shifting direction, accordingly the pitchbetween the elements, which is the interval at which the filter elementmaterial 13 is discharged, comes to be narrower than the pitch betweenthe nozzles 466, so that, only by setting the state of inclinationsuitably, it is easily possible to make the pitch between the elementswhich is anticipated when discharging the filter element material 13against the surface of the motherboard 12 in a dot pattern correspond tothe desired such pitch, and it is no longer necessary to make the inkjet heads 421 in correspondence to the pitch between the elements, sothat the general applicability is enhanced.

[0147] And, the plurality of ink jet heads 421 to which the plurality ofnozzles 466 which discharge filter element material 13, for example ink,as a liquid mass which has a certain flowability are provided upon asingle surface are relatively shifted along the surface of themotherboard 12 in a state in which the surface in which these nozzles466 of the ink jet heads 421 are provided is opposed to the surface ofthe motherboard 12, which is the object against which liquid drops areto be discharged, with a predetermined gap being left therebetween, andthe same filter element material 13 is discharged against the surface ofthe motherboard 12 from each of the nozzles 466 of the plurality of inkjet heads 421. Due to this, it becomes possible to discharge the filterelement material 13 over a wide range by using ink jet heads 421 whichhave, for example, the same number of nozzles 466, and which are of thesame specification, so that there is no requirement to use an ink jethead of a special longitudinal dimension, and accordingly it is possibleto avoid using components of a plurality of different specifications, aswas the case with the prior art, so that it is possible to lower theoverall cost.

[0148] Furthermore, by for example appropriately setting the number ofthe ink jet heads 421 which are arranged along the direction in whichthey are provided, it becomes possible to make them correspond to theregion over which the filter element material 13 is to be discharged,and accordingly it becomes possible to enhance the wideness ofapplicability.

[0149] Furthermore, since a plurality of ink jet heads 421 are provided,accordingly, even in the case, for example, that the region upon themotherboard 12 upon which the filter element material 13 is to bedischarged is quite wide, or that it is necessary to discharge thefilter material 13 several times upon the same spot in a superimposedmanner, or the like, it is not necessary to shift the ink jet head 421 aplurality of times, and furthermore it is also not necessary tomanufacture a special ink jet head, so that it is possible to dischargethe filter element material 13 easily with a simple structure.

[0150] Even further, by utilizing components of the same format whichhave the same number of nozzles for the plurality of ink jet heads 421,by suitably arranging them, it becomes possible to make them correspondto the region over which the liquid mass is to be discharged, eventhough only a single type of ink jet head 421 is used, so that thestructure is simplified, the manufacturability is enhanced, and also itis possible to reduce the cost.

[0151] Moreover, since the head unit 420 is made with the plurality ofink jet heads 421 arranged in the carriage 426 in the state in which allthe respective arrangement directions of the nozzles 466 are roughlyparallel to one another, accordingly, if for example the directions inwhich the nozzles 466 are arranged are substantially parallel, theregion in which the nozzles 466 are arranged becomes wider, it becomespossible to discharge the filter element material 13 over a wider range,and the discharge efficiency is enhanced; and, further, if they arearranged so as to be parallel along the direction of shifting of the inkjet heads 421, it becomes possible to discharge the filter elementmaterial 13 from the different ink jet heads 421 upon a single spot in asuperimposed manner, and it is possible easily to make the dischargeamounts in the discharge region uniform, so that it is possible toobtain a desirably stabilized painting process.

[0152] And, because each of the plurality of ink jet heads 421 isinclined in a direction which intersects the main scanning direction,and moreover they are provided as being arranged in rows in a directionwhich is different from the longitudinal direction of the ink jet heads421 so that the direction in which all of the nozzles 466 are arrangedare mutually parallel, thereby the pitch between elements, in otherwords the interval between discharges of the filter element material 13,becomes shorter than the pitch between the nozzles, and, if for examplethe motherboard 12 against which the filter element material 13 is to bedischarged is to be utilized as a display device or the like, it becomespossible to manufacture a finer display. Yet further, it is possible toprevent interference between neighboring ones of the ink jet heads 421,and accordingly a reduction in size can be anticipated. And, moreover,by suitably setting this inclination angle, it is possible suitably toset the pitch in which the dots are painted, so that it is possible toenhance the universality of applicability.

[0153] Furthermore, since the plurality of ink jet heads 421 arearranged in a plurality of rows, for example in two rows, which aremutually different (roughly in staggered form), accordingly it is notnecessary to manufacture any special ink jet head having a special or avery long lengthwise dimension, and, even if ink jet heads 421 are usedwhich are pre-existing components, not only do neighboring ink jet heads421 not interfere with one another, but regions do not occur between inkjet heads 421 in which no filter element material 13 is discharged, andaccordingly it becomes possible to discharge the filter element materialcontinuously in a suitable manner, in other words to perform continuouspainting.

[0154] In detail, the ink jet heads 421, upon one surface of which arearranged the plurality of nozzles 466 from which the filter elementmaterial 13, for example ink, which is a liquid mass which has a certainflowability, are shifted relatively to the motherboard 12, whichconstitutes an object against which liquid drops are to be discharged,so as to follow along its surface, in a state in which the surfaces ofthe ink jet heads 421 in which the nozzles 466 are provided are opposedto the surface of the motherboard 12 with a predetermined gap beingpresent between them, and filter element material 13 is discharged froma plurality, for example from two, of the nozzles 466 which arepositioned upon the same straight line which extends along this relativeshifting direction. According to this, a structure is obtained whichdischarges filter element material 13 from two different nozzles in asuperimposed manner, so that, even if hypothetically undesirabledeviations are present in the discharge amounts between different onesof the plurality of nozzles 466, it is possible to average out thedischarge amounts of the filter element material 13 which aredischarged, and to prevent undesirable deviations of the total thereof,so that an even and uniform discharge in a plane to be discharged isobtained, and it is possible to obtain an electro optical device whichhas a uniform and desirable characteristic quality in a plane to bedisplayed.

[0155] Yet further, since the dot missing detection unit 487 is providedand detects the quality of the discharge of the filter element material13 from the nozzles 466, accordingly it is possible to preventuniformity in the discharge of the filter element material 13, and itbecomes possible to discharge the filter element material accurately ina desirable manner, in other words to perform high quality painting.

[0156] And, since an optical sensor is provided to the dot missingdetection unit 487, and the passage of the filter element material 13 ina direction which intersects the proper discharge direction for thefilter element material 13 is detected by this optical sensor,accordingly it is possible to detect the state of discharge of thefilter element material 13 accurately with a simple structure, and itbecomes possible to prevent mura in the discharge of the filter elementmaterial 13, so that it becomes possible to discharge the filter elementmaterial accurately in a desirable manner, in other words to performhigh quality painting.

[0157] Moreover, since the discharge situation is detected by the dotmissing detection unit 487 both before and after the process ofdischarging the filter element material 13 from the nozzles 466 againstthe motherboard 12, accordingly it is possible to detect the state ofdischarge directly before and directly after the discharge of the filterelement material 13 for painting, and thus the state of discharge isaccurately detected, and it becomes possible to obtain a desirablequality of painting by accurately preventing the occurrence of dotmissing. It should be understood that it would also, as an alternative,be acceptable to perform detection of the state of discharge only at atime point before, or only at a time point after, the actual dischargefor painting the motherboard 12.

[0158] Furthermore, since the dot missing detection unit 487 is providedon the main scanning direction side of the head unit 420, accordingly itbecomes possible to reduce the shifting distance of the head unit 420due to the detection of the discharge state of the filter elementmaterial 13, and moreover it is possible to keep the shifting along themain scanning direction for discharge just as it is with a simplestructure, and it is possible to detect dot missings at high efficiencywith a simple structure.

EXAMPLE OF A DEVICE WHICH UTILISES A COLOR FILTER

[0159] Next, a color liquid crystal device of the active matrix typewill be presented and explained below, as one example of an electrooptical device which is fitted with a color filter according to theabove described preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 50is a figure showing the sectional structure of a liquid crystal devicewhich is equipped with a color filter according to this preferredembodiment.

[0160] The liquid crystal device 700 of this preferred embodiment of thepresent invention comprises, as its main element, a liquid crystal panel750 which comprises a color filter substrate plate 741 and an activeelement substrate plate 701 which are arranged so as mutually toconfront one another, a liquid crystal layer 702 which is sandwichedbetween these two substrate plates, a phase contrast plate 715 a and apolarization plate 716 a which are attached to the upper surface side(the observer's side) of the color filter substrate plate 741, and aphase contrast plate 715 b and a polarization plate 716 b which areattached to the lower surface side of the active element substrate plate701. The liquid crystal device which is the final product is made byfitting peripheral devices such as driver chips for driving the liquidcrystal material, various connecting wires for transmitting electricalsignals a support member and the like to this liquid crystal panel 750.

[0161] The color filter substrate plate 741 is a display side substrateplate which is provided facing the side of the observer, and which has alight transparent substrate plate 742, while the active elementsubstrate plate 701 is a substrate plate which is provided upon itsopposite side, in other words upon its rear side.

[0162] This color filter substrate plate 741 principally comprises thelight transparent substrate plate 742 which is made of a plastic film ora glass substrate plate of approximately 300 μm (0.3 mm) or the like,and a color filter 751 which is formed upon the lower side surface (inother words, upon the liquid crystal layer side surface) of thissubstrate plate 742.

[0163] The color filter 751 is made as a combination of division walls706 which are formed upon the lower side surface (in other words, uponthe liquid crystal layer side surface) of this substrate plate 742,filter elements 703 . . . , and a covering protective layer 704 whichcovers over the division walls 706 and the filter elements 703 . . . .

[0164] The division walls 706 are formed upon the one surface 742 a ofthe substrate plate 742, and are built up in lattice form and are formedso as each to surround a filter element formation region 707, which is aregion for formation of an adhered color layer which defines anindividual filter element 703. These division walls 706 comprise aplurality of holes 706 c. . . . Within each of the holes 706 c, thesurface of the substrate plate 742 is exposed. And the filter elementformation regions 707 . . . are defined as compartments which aredelimited by the inner walls of the division walls 706 (the wallsurfaces of the holes 706 c) and the surface of the substrate plate 742.

[0165] The division walls 706 are, for example, made from a blackcolored light sensitive resin layer, and, as such a black colored lightsensitive resin layer, it is desirable for them to include, for example,at least one of a positive type or negative type light sensitive resinsuch as one which is used in a conventional photo-resist, and an blackcolored inorganic material such as carbon block or a black coloredorganic material. Since these division walls 706 include a black coloredinorganic material or organic material, and are formed at all portionsexcept those where the filter elements 703 are present, thus it ispossible to intercept transmission of light between neighboring ones ofthe filter elements 703, and accordingly these division walls 706 areendowed with the function of serving as light interception layers.

[0166] The filter elements 703 are formed by injection according to anink jet method, in other words by discharge, of filter element materialof the various colors red (R), green (G), and blue (B) into the variousfilter element formation regions 707 which are defined across thesubstrate plate 742 between the inner surfaces of the division walls706, and after this by drying out of this filter element material.

[0167] Furthermore an electrode layer 705 for liquid crystal drive,which is made from a transparent electrically conductive material suchas ITO or the like, is formed upon the lower side (the liquid crystallayer side) of the protective layer 704, over substantially the entiresurface of the protective layer 704. Moreover, an orientation layer 719a is provided to cover over this electrode layer 705 for liquid crystaldrive upon its liquid crystal layer side, and also an orientation layer719 b is provided over a picture element electrode 732 upon the side ofan opposite side active element substrate plate 701, which will bedescribed hereinafter.

[0168] The active element substrate plate 701 is made by forming aninsulating layer not shown in the figures upon a light transparentsubstrate plate 714, and by further forming, upon this insulating layer,a thin film transistor T which functions as a TFT type switching elementand a picture element electrode 732. Furthermore, the structure includesa plurality of scan lines and a plurality of signal lines which aremade, actually in the form of a matrix, upon the insulating layer whichis formed upon the substrate plate 714; and one of the previouslydescribed picture element electrodes 732 is provided for each of theregions which are surrounded by these scan lines and signal lines, and athin film transistor T is included at each position which electricallyconnects together each of the picture element electrodes 732 and itsscan line and its signal line, so that, by applying an appropriatesignal voltage to the scan line and the signal line, this thin filmtransistor T can be turned ON or OFF, thus performing control of thesupply of electricity to its picture element electrode 732. Furthermore,the electrode layer 705 which is formed on the color filter substrateplate 741 upon the opposite side, in this preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, is made as a full surface electrode which covers theentire picture element region. It should be understood that variousother possibilities for the connecting wire circuit for the TFTs, or forthe picture element electrode configuration, may also be applied.

[0169] The active element substrate plate 701 and the color filtersubstrate plate (the opposing substrate plate) 741 are adhered togetherwith a predetermined gap being maintained between them by the sealmember 755 which is formed running around the outer peripheral edge ofthe color filter substrate plate 741. Furthermore, the reference symbol756 denotes a spacer for holding the interval (the cell gap) betweenthese two substrate plates fixed over the surfaces of the substrateplates. As a result, a rectangular liquid crystal enclosure region isdefined as a compartment between the active element substrate plate 701and the color filter substrate plate 741 by the seal member which, asseen in its plane, is roughly formed as a frame, and liquid crystalmaterial is enclosed within this liquid crystal enclosure region.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 50, the color filter substrate plate 741 issmaller than the active element substrate plate 701, so that, in theadhered state, the peripheral portion of the active element substrateplate 701 projects outwards further than the outer peripheral edge ofthe color filter substrate plate 741. Accordingly, it is possible toform the thin film transistors T for picture element switching and atthe same time the TFTs for the drive circuit upon the active elementsubstrate plate 701 at the outer peripheral side region of the sealmember 455, and thus it becomes possible to provide both a scan linesdrive circuit and a data lines drive circuit.

[0171] With this liquid crystal panel 750, the above describedpolarization plates (polarization sheets) 716 a and 716 b are disposedin predetermined orientations upon the light incident side and the lightemitting side of the active element substrate plate 701 and of the colorfilter substrate plate 741, according to whether the device will berequired to operate in the normally white mode or in the normally blackmode.

[0172] In the liquid crystal panel 750 made according to the abovestructure, with the active element substrate plate 701, the orientationstate of the liquid crystal material present between the picture elementelectrode 732 and the opposing electrode 718 is controlled for eachpicture element individually by the display signals which are suppliedto the picture element electrodes 732 via the data lines (not shown inthe figures) and the thin film transistors T, and a predetermineddisplay is performed in correspondence to the display signals. Forexample, if the liquid crystal panel 750 is structured in the TN mode,then, when the rubbing directions when performing rubbing processing forthe orientation layers 719 a and 719 b which are respectively providedbetween the pair of substrate plates (the active element substrate plate701 and the color filter substrate plate 741) are set to mutuallyperpendicular directions, the liquid crystal material is orientated witha twist between the substrate plates, having an angle of 90degree. Thistype of twist orientation is released by applying an electric field tothe liquid crystal layer 702 between the substrate plates. Thus it ispossible to control the orientation state of the liquid crystal materialfor each region which is formed upon the picture element electrode 732individually (for each picture element individually), according towhether or not an electric field is applied from the outside between thesubstrate plates.

[0173] Because of this, if the liquid crystal panel 750 is to be used asa transparent type liquid crystal panel, the light from an illuminationdevice (not shown in the figures) which is disposed at the lower side ofthe active element substrate plate 701, after having been made uniformas light of a predetermined linear polarization by the polarizationplate 716 b upon the incident side, passes through the phase contrastplate 715 b and the active element substrate plate 701 and is incidentupon the liquid crystal material layer 702, and on the one hand in someof the regions thereof this linearly polarized light passes through andis emitted with its polarization axis having been twisted by thistransmission, while on the other hand in other regions this directlypolarized light which passes through is emitted without its polarizationaxis having been twisted at all by this transmission. Due to this, ifthe polarization plate 716 b on the incident side and the polarizationplate 716 a on the emission side are disposed so that their transmissionpolarization axes are mutually perpendicular (the normally white mode),then the light which passes through the polarization plate 716 a whichis disposed upon the emission side of the liquid crystal panel 750 isonly the linearly polarized light whose transmission polarization axishas been thus twisted by transmission through the liquid crystal. Bycontrast, if the polarization plate 716 a on the emission side isdisposed so that its transmission polarization axis is parallel to thetransmission polarization axis of the polarization plate 716 b on theincident side (the normally black mode), then the light which passesthrough the polarization plate 716 a which is disposed upon the emissionside of the liquid crystal panel 750 is only the linearly polarizedlight whose transmission polarization axis has not been twisted bytransmission through the liquid crystal. Accordingly, if the orientationstate of the liquid crystal 702 is controlled for each picture elementindividually, it is possible to display any desired information.

[0174] With the liquid crystal panel according to the above structure,because the filter elements 703 . . . of the color filter substrateplate 741 are made by a method utilizing an ink jet in which adischarging quantity is controlled in high accuracy, it is possible toperform a displaying which is uniform in a plane of display.

[0175] Although in the above description it was assumed, by way ofexample, that the color filter was to be applied to a liquid crystaldevice, the color filter according to the present invention can, ofcourse, also be utilized for various applications other than the onedescribed above. For example, this color filter could be applied to awhite colored organic electro-luminescent device. In other words, acolor filter manufactured as described above may be disposed upon thefront surface (the light emitting side) of a white colored organicelectro-luminescent device. By utilizing such a structure, it ispossible to provide an organic electro-luminescent device which presentsa color display, while basically utilizing a white coloredelectro-luminescent device.

[0176] It should be understood that the light is controlled in themanner described below. An organic electro-luminescent device is made soas to be a source of white colored light, and the amount of lightemitted by each picture element is adjusted by control of transistorswhich are provided to each picture element individually, and moreoverthe desired color display is provided by passing this light through theabove described color filter.

A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT RELATED TO A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF AN ELECTROOPTICAL DEVICE WHICH USES AN ELECTROLUMINESCENT ELEMENT

[0177] Next, a method of manufacture of an electro optical deviceaccording to the present invention will be explained with reference tothe drawings. It should be understood that, as such an electro opticaldevice, an active matrix type display device which utilizes anelectro-luminescent display element will be explained. Moreover, beforeexplaining the method of manufacture of this display device, thestructure of the display device which is to be manufactured will beexplained.

STRUCTURE OF THE DISPLAY DEVICE

[0178]FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing one portion of an organicelectroluminescent device made by a device for manufacturing an electrooptical device according to the present invention. And FIG. 15 is amagnified plan view showing the planar structure of one picture elementregion of this display device.

[0179] In detail, referring to FIG. 14, the reference symbol 501 denotesa display device of the active matrix type which employs anelectro-luminescent display element which is an organicelectro-luminescent device; and this display device 501 comprises, upona transparent display substrate plate 502 which functions as a substrateplate, a plurality of scan lines 503, a plurality of signal lines 504which extend in a direction which is transverse to these scan lines 503,a plurality of common power supply lines 505 which extend parallel tothese signal lines 504, and connecting wires for all these. And apicture element region 501A is provided at each of the points ofintersection of the scan lines 503 and the signal lines 504.

[0180] A data side drive circuit 507 is provided for the signal lines504, and comprises a shift register, a level shifter, a video line, andan analog switch. Furthermore, a scan side drive circuit 508 is providedfor the scan lines 503, and comprises a shift register and a levelshifter. And each of the picture element regions 501A is provided with aswitching thin film transistor 509 which is supplied with a scan signalat its gate electrode via a scan line 503, a capacitor cap whichaccumulates and holds a picture signal which is supplied from a signalline 504 via this switching thin film transistor 509, a current thinfilm transistor 510 which is supplied at its gate electrode with thepicture signal which has been held by this capacitor cap, a pictureelement electrode 511 into which drive electrical current flows from acommon power supply line 505 when it is electrically connected to thecommon power supply line 505 via this current thin film transistor 510,and a light emitting element 513 which is sandwiched between thispicture element electrode 511 and a reflecting electrode 512.

[0181] According to this structure, when the switching thin filmtransistor 509 which is driven by the scan line 503 is ON, the voltageat this time upon the signal line 504 is held in the capacitor cap. TheON or OFF state of the current thin film transistor 510 is determinedaccording to the state of this capacitor cap. And electrical currentflows to the picture element electrode 511 from the common power supplyline 505 via the channel of the current thin film transistor 510, andfurthermore electrical current flows through the light emitting element513 to the reflecting electrode 512. By doing this, the light emittingelement 513 emits light according to the magnitude of this flow ofcurrent.

[0182] As shown in FIG. 15 which is a magnified plan view showing thepicture element region 501A in a state in which the reflecting electrode512 and the light emitting element 513 have been removed, the four sidesof the rectangular picture element electrode 511, as seen in a planarstate, are arranged so as to be surrounded- by the signal line 504, thecommon power supply line 505, the scan line 503, and the scan line 503for another neighboring picture element electrode 511 not shown in thefigure

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF THE DISPLAY DEVICE

[0183] Next, various procedures of a manufacturing process formanufacture of a display device of the active matrix type using theabove described electroluminescent display element will be explained.FIGS. 16 through 18 are manufacturing process sectional views showingvarious procedures of a manufacturing process for manufacture of adisplay device of the active matrix type using the above describedelectro-luminescent display element. It should be understood that, as aliquid drop discharge device and a scanning method for forming anelectro-luminescent layer by the discharge of liquid drops, the sameones may be employed as have already been explained above with referenceto other preferred embodiments of the present invention.

PRELIMINARY PROCESSING

[0184] First, as shown in FIG. 16(A), according to requirements, aprotective backing layer not shown in the drawings, which consists of asilicon oxide film of thickness dimension about 2000 to 5000 angstroms,is formed upon the transparent display substrate plate 502 by a plasmaCVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process, using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)or oxygen gas or the like as source gas. Next, the temperature of thedisplay substrate plate 502 is set to about 350 degree Celsius, and asemiconductor film layer 502 a, which is an amorphous silicon layer ofthickness dimension about 300 to 700 angstroms, is formed upon thesurface of the protective backing layer by a plasma CVD method. Afterthis, a crystallization process of laser annealing or a solid growthmethod or the like is performed upon the semiconductor film 520 a, sothat the semiconductor film 520 a is crystallized into a poly-siliconlayer. Here by laser annealing is meant a process of utilizing, forexample, an line beam from an excimer laser of wavelength about 400 nmat an output intensity of about 200 mJ/cm². With regard to this linebeam, the line beam is scanned along its shorter direction so that, foreach region, the portions which correspond to about 90% of the peakvalue of the laser intensity are superimposed.

[0185] And, as shown in FIG. 16(B), the semiconductor film 520 a isformed by patterning into a blob shaped semiconductor film 520 b. A gateinsulating layer 521 a which is a silicon oxide film or a nitrate layerof thickness dimension of about 600 to 1500 angstroms is formed upon thedisplay substrate plate 502 which is provided with this semiconductorfilm 520 b by a plasma CVD method, using TEOS or oxygen gas or the likeas source gas. It should be understood that, although this semiconductorfilm 520 b is the one which will constitute the channel region and thesource and drain regions for the current thin film transistor 510, inanother sectional position there is also formed a semiconductor film notshown in the figures which will constitute the channel region and thesource and drain regions for the switching thin film transistor 509. Inother words, although the switching thin film transistor 509 and thecurrent thin film transistor 510 which are of two types are formed atthe same time in the manufacturing process shown in FIGS. 16 through 18,nevertheless, in the following explanation, only the formation of thecurrent thin film transistor 510 will be explained, while theexplanation of the switching thin film transistor 509 will be curtailed,since it is formed by the same procedure.

[0186] After this, as shown in FIG. 16(C), and after a conductive film,which is a metallic film made from aluminum, tantalum, molybdenum,titanium, tungsten or the like, has been formed by a spattering method,the gate electrode 510A shown in FIG. 15 is formed by patterning. Inthis state the work-piece is bombarded by phosphorus ions, so as to formupon the semiconductor film 520 b the source and drain regions 510 a and510 b which mutually match with the gate electrode 510A. It should beunderstood that the portion into which the impurities have not beenintroduced constitutes the channel region 510 c.

[0187] Next, as shown in FIG. 16(D), after an inter layer insulatinglayer 522 has been formed, contact holes 523 and 524 are formed therein,and junction electrodes 526 and 527 are embedded in these contact holes523 and 524.

[0188] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16(E), a signal line 504, a commonpower supply line 505, and a scan line 503 (not shown in FIG. 16) areformed above the inter layer insulating layer 522.

[0189] At this time, the various lead wires for the signal line 504, thecommon power supply line 505, and the scan line 503 are formed ofsufficient thickness, without being prejudiced by the necessarythickness dimension for lead wires. In concrete terms, it will beacceptable to form each of these lead wires, for example, with athickness dimension of approximately 1 to 2 μm. Here, it will beacceptable to form the junction electrode 527 and the various lead wiresby the same process. At this time, a junction electrode 526 is formedfrom an ITO layer which will be described hereinafter.

[0190] And an inter layer insulating layer 530 is formed to cover theupper surfaces of the various lead wires, and a contact hole 532 isformed in a position which corresponds to the junction electrode 526. AnITO layer is formed so as to fill in this contact hole 532, and this ITOlayer is patterned, so as to form the picture element electrode 511which is electrically connected to the source and drain region 510 a ina predetermined position which is surrounded by the signal line 504, thecommon power supply line 505, and the scan line 503.

[0191] Here, in FIG. 16(E), the portion which is sandwiched between thesignal line 504 and the common power supply line 505 is the one whichcorresponds to a predetermined position into which optical material isselectively to be provided. And steps 535 are formed by the signal line504 and the common power supply line 505 between this predeterminedposition and its surroundings. In concrete terms, this predeterminedposition is lower than its surroundings, and is defined as a concaveportion by the steps 535.

DISCHARGE OF THE ELECTRO-LUMINESCENT MATERIAL

[0192] Next an electro-luminescent material, which is a functionalliquid mass, is discharged by an ink jet method against the displaysubstrate plate 502 upon which the above described preliminaryprocessing has been performed. In other words, as shown in FIG. 17(A),in a state in which the upper surface of the display substrate plate 502upon which the above described preliminary processing has been performedis facing upwards, an optical material mass 540A, which is a precursorin the form of a solution, dissolved in a solvent, and which serves as afunctional liquid mass for forming a positive hole injection layer 513Awhich touches the lower layer portion of the light emitting element 140,is discharged by an ink jet method, in other words by using a deviceaccording to one of the preferred embodiments of the present inventiondescribed above, and thus is selectively applied to certain ones of theregions surrounded by the steps 535 which are located in certainpredetermined positions.

[0193] As the optical material 540A which is to be discharged forforming this positive hole injection layer 513A, poliphenylenevinylenewhich polymer precursor is polytetrahydrothiophenylphenylen,1,1-bis-(4-N,N-ditlylaminophenyl) cyclohexane, tris(8-hydroxyquinolinole) Aluminum or the like may be used.

[0194] It should be understood that, since during this discharge processthe optical material 540A, which is a liquid mass which has a certainflowability, has a high flowability just as in the case of dischargingthe filter element material 13 against the division walls which wasdescribed above with reference to various other preferred embodiments,accordingly, even though this optical material 540A may attempt tospread out in the sideways direction, since the steps 535 are formed soas to surround the positions where this optical material 540A has beenapplied, it is possible to prevent the optical material 540A gettingover the steps 535 and spreading to the outside of the predeterminedpositions where it is supposed to be applied, provided that the amountof discharge of the optical material 540A in one discharge episode isnot extremely increased.

[0195] And, as shown in FIG. 17(B), the liquid in the optical material540A is vaporized by being heated up or by being illuminated or thelike, so as to form a thin solid positive hole injection layer upon thepicture element electrode 511. The processes of FIG. 17(A) and (B) arerepeated for the necessary number of times, until, as shown in FIG.17(C), a positive hole injection layer 513A of sufficient extent in thethickness dimension has been formed.

[0196] Next, as shown in FIG. 18(A), in the state in which the uppersurface of the display substrate plate 502 is facing upwards, an opticalmaterial mass 540B, which is an organic fluorescent material in the formof a solution, dissolved in a solvent, and which serves as a functionalliquid mass for forming an organic semiconductor film 513B as a layerabove the light emitting element 513, is discharged by an ink jetmethod, in other words by using a device according to one of thepreferred embodiments of the present invention described above, and thusis selectively applied to certain ones of the regions surrounded by thesteps 535 which are located in certain predetermined positions. Itshould be understood that this optical material 540B is prevented fromoverflowing over the steps 535 and spreading to the outside of thepredetermined positions in the same way as in the case of the dischargeof the optical material 540A, as has been described above.

[0197] As the optical material 540B which is to be discharged forforming this organic semiconductor film 513B,cyanopolypheniyphenilenevinylene, polyphenylvinylene,polyalkylphenilene,2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-11-oxo-1H.5H.11H(1)benzopyrano[6,7,8-ij]-quinolysine-10-carboxylicacid,1,1-bis(4-N,N-ditolylaminophenyl)cyclohexane,2-13.4′-dihydroxyphenil-3,5,7-trihydroxy-1-benzopyryliumperchlorate,tris(8-hydroxyquinoquinol) aluminum,2,3.6.7-tetrahydro-9-methyl-11-oxo-1H.5H.11H(1)benzopyrano[6,7,8-ij]-quinolisine,aromaticdiaminederivative(TDP), oxydiazoledimer(OXD),oxydiazolederivetive(PBD), distilarylenederivative(DSA),quinolinolmetallic-complex, beryllium-benzoquinolinolcomplex(Bebq),triphenylaminederivetive(MTDATA), distyllylderivative, pyrazolinedimer,rublene, quinacridone, triazolederivetive, polyphenylene,polyalkylfluorene, polyalkylthiophene, azomethynezinccomplex,polyphyrinzinccomplex, benzooxazolezinccomplex,phenanthrolineeuropiumcomplex or the like may be used.

[0198] Next, as shown in FIG. 18(B), the solvent in the optical material540B is vaporized by being heated up or by being illuminated or thelike, so as to form a thin organic semiconductor film 513B above thepositive hole injection layer 513A. The processes of FIG. 18(A) and (B)are repeated for the necessary number of times, until, as shown in FIG.18(C), an organic semiconductor film 513B of sufficient extent in thethickness dimension has been formed. The positive hole injection layer513A and the organic semiconductor film 513B together constitute a lightemitting element 513. Finally, as shown in FIG. 18(D), a reflectingelectrode 512 is formed upon the entire surface of the display substrateplate 502, or in stripe form, and thereby the display device 501 ismanufactured.

[0199] With this preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through 18 aswell, it is possible to reap the same operational benefits as in theother preferred embodiments described earlier, by performing an ink jetmethod in the same manner. Furthermore, when selectively applying thefunctional liquid masses, it is possible to prevent them flowing outfrom the regions where they are supposed to be deposited, so that it ispossible to perform patterning at high accuracy.

[0200] It should be understood that although the color display accordingto this preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through 18 has beenexplained in terms of its principal application to an active matrix typedisplay device which uses an electro-luminescent display element, thestructure shown in FIGS. 14 through 18 could also, for example, beapplied to a display device which incorporates a monochrome display.

[0201] In detail, it would also be acceptable to form the organicsemiconductor film 513B uniformly over the entire surface of the displaysubstrate plate 502. However even in this case it is extremely effectiveto take advantage of the steps 111, since it is necessary to provide thepositive hole injection layer 513A selectively in each of thepredetermined positions in order to prevent cross-talk. It should beunderstood that, in this FIG. 19, to structural elements which are thesame as in the previous preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through18, the same reference symbols are affixed.

[0202] Furthermore, this type of display device which uses anelectro-luminescent display element is not limited to the active matrixtype; for example, it could also be a display device of the passivematrix type shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 20 shows an electro-luminescentdevice made by a device for manufacture of an electro optical deviceaccording to the present invention, and its FIG. 20(A) is a plan viewshowing the arrangement relationship of a plurality of first bus leadwires 550 and a plurality of second bus lead wires 560 which arearranged in the direction perpendicular to these first bus lead wires550, while its FIG. 20(B) is a sectional view thereof taken in a planeshown by the arrows B-B in FIG. 20(A). In this FIG. 20, to structuralelements which are the same as in the previous preferred embodimentshown in FIGS. 14 through 18, the same reference symbols are affixed,and the description thereof will herein be curtailed in the interests ofbrevity of description. Furthermore, since the details of themanufacturing process for this embodiment are the same, mutates mutandi,as those for the previous preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through18, figures and description thereof will herein be curtailed.

[0203] This preferred embodiment display device shown in FIG. 20 is onein which an insulating layer 570 made of, for example, SiO₂ is providedso as to surround the predetermined positions in which the lightemitting elements 513 are provided, and by doing this steps 535 areformed between these predetermined positions and their surroundings. Dueto this, when selectively applying the functional liquid mass, it ispossible to prevent it from flowing out of the areas where it issupposed to be deposited, and accordingly it is possible to performpatterning at high accuracy.

[0204] Furthermore, even in the case of an active matrix type displaydevice, the present invention is not limited to the structure of thepreferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through 18. In other words, itwould be possible to utilize a device of the structure shown in FIG. 21,of the structure shown in FIG. 22, of the structure shown in FIG. 23, ofthe structure shown in FIG. 24, of the structure shown in FIG. 25, ofthe structure shown in FIG. 26, or the like.

[0205] By forming the steps 535 by taking advantage of the pictureelement electrode 511, the display device shown in FIG. 21 is made so asto be capable of high accuracy patterning. FIG. 21 is a sectional viewshowing an intermediate stage in the manufacturing process for thisdisplay device, and, since the stages before and after this stage aresubstantially the same as in the case of the preferred embodiment shownin FIGS. 14 through 18, description thereof and figures illustrating thesame will herein be curtailed.

[0206] With this display device shown in FIG. 21, the picture elementelectrode 511 is formed to be thicker than normal, and thereby the steps535 are formed between it and its surroundings. In other words, withthis display device shown in FIG. 21, the convex type steps are formedso that the picture element electrode 511, to which the optical materialwill be applied afterwards, becomes higher than its surroundings. Andthe optical material 540A, which is a precursor for forming the positivehole injection layer 513A, which touches the lower layer portion of thelight emitting element 513, is discharged by an ink jet method in thesame manner as in the case of the preferred embodiment described abovewith reference to FIGS. 14 through 18, and is thereby applied to theupper surface of the picture element electrode 511.

[0207] However, the difference from the case of the preferred embodimentdescribed above and shown in FIGS. 14 through 18 is that the opticalmaterial 540A is discharged and is applied in a state in which thedisplay substrate plate 502 is reversed in the vertical direction, inother words in a state in which the upper surface of the picture elementelectrode 511 to which the optical material 540A is applied is facingdownwards. Because of this configuration, due to gravity and surfacetension, the optical material 540A accumulates upon the upper surface ofthe picture element electrode 511 (its lower surface as seen in FIG.21), and does not spread to the surroundings thereof. Accordingly, if itis solidified by being heated up or by being exposed to light or thelike, it is possible to form a thin positive hole injection layer 513Ain the same manner as in FIG. 17(B), and, if this is repeated, thepositive hole injection layer 513A is formed. The organic semiconductorfilm 513B is formed by the same procedure. Due to this feature, it ispossible to perform patterning at high accuracy while taking advantageof the convex form steps. It should be understood that this concept isnot limited to the exploitation of gravity and surface tension; it wouldalso be acceptable to adjust the amount of the optical materials 540Aand 540B by taking advantage of inertial force such as centrifugalforce.

[0208] The display device shown in FIG. 22 is also a display device ofthe active matrix type. FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing anintermediate stage in the manufacturing process for this display device,and, since the stages before and after this stage are substantially thesame as in the case of the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14through 18, description thereof and figures illustrating the same willherein be curtailed.

[0209] With this display device shown in FIG. 22, first, a reflectingelectrode 512 is formed upon the display substrate plate 502, and thenafterward an insulating layer 570 is formed upon this reflectingelectrode 512 so as to surround the predetermined positions in which thelight emitting elements 513 are to be provided, and, by doing this,concave type steps 535 are formed so that these predetermined positionsbecome lower than their surroundings.

[0210] And, in the same manner as in the case of the preferredembodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through 18, the optical materials 540A and540B are selectively discharged and applied to the regions surrounded bythe steps 535 by an ink jet method as functional liquid masses, andthereby the light emitting elements 513 are formed.

[0211] On the other hand, a scan line 503, a signal line 504, a pictureelement electrode 511, a switching thin film transistor 509, a currentthin film transistor 510, and an inter layer insulating layer 530 areformed upon a stripping layer 581 which is laid upon a substrate platefor stripping 580. Finally, the structure which has been stripped fromthe stripping layer 581 upon the substrate plate for stripping 580 istransferred to the surface of the display substrate plate 502.

[0212] With this preferred embodiment of FIG. 22 reduction of the damagedue to application of the optical material 540A, 540B to the scan line503, the signal line 504, the picture element electrode 511, theswitching thin film transistor 509, the current thin film transistor510, and the inter layer insulating layer 530 can be anticipated. Itshould be understood that this concept can also be applied to a passivematrix type display element.

[0213] The display device shown in FIG. 23 is a display device of theactive matrix type. FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing a stage partwaythrough the manufacturing process for manufacture of this displaydevice, and, since the stages before and after this stage aresubstantially the same as in the case of the preferred embodiment shownin FIGS. 14 through 18, description thereof and figures illustrating thesame will herein be curtailed.

[0214] This display device shown in FIG. 23 is one in which the concaveformed steps 535 are made by taking advantage of the inter layerinsulating layer 530. Due to this, there is no requirement to add anyfurther special process, and it is possible to take advantage of theinter layer insulating layer 530, so that it is possible to preventgreat further complication of the process of manufacture. It should beunderstood that, along with forming the inter layer insulating layer 530from SiO₂, it would also be acceptable to irradiate its surface withultraviolet light or with a plasma such as O₂, CF₃, Ar or the like, andthereafter to expose the surface of the picture element electrode 511,and selectively to apply the optical material liquid 540A, 540B bydischarging it. By doing this a strong distribution of liquid repulsionis formed along the surface of the inter layer insulating layer 530, andit becomes easy to accumulate the optical material liquid 540A, 540B inthe predetermined positions by the liquid repulsion operation both ofthe surface level differential portion 535 and also of the inter layerinsulating layer 530.

[0215] With the display device shown in FIG. 24, it is arranged toprevent the optical material 540A, 540B which is applied from spreadingto its surroundings, by making the hydrophilic characteristic of thepredetermined positions to which this optical material 540A, 540B, whichis a liquid mass, is applied to be relatively stronger than thehydrophilic characteristic of their surroundings. FIG. 24 is a sectionalview showing an intermediate stage in the manufacturing process for thisdisplay device, and, since the stages before and after this stage aresubstantially the same as in the case of the preferred embodiment shownin FIGS. 14 through 18, description thereof and figures illustrating thesame will herein be curtailed.

[0216] With this display device shown in FIG. 24, after forming theinter layer insulating layer 530, an amorphous silicon layer 590 isformed upon its upper surface. Since the hydrophobic characteristic ofthis amorphous silicon layer 590 is stronger than that of the ITO fromwhich the picture element electrode 511 is made, accordingly, here, adistinctly defined distribution of hydrophobic characteristics andhydrophilic characteristics is created, with the hydrophiliccharacteristic of the surface of the picture element electrode 511 beingrelatively stronger than the hydrophilic characteristic of itssurroundings. And then, in the same manner as in the case of thepreferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through 18, the light emittingelement 513 is formed by selectively discharging the optical materialliquid 540A, 540B by an ink jet method and applying it against the uppersurface of the picture element electrode 511; and finally the reflectingelectrode 512 is made.

[0217] Moreover, it is also possible to apply this preferred embodimentshown in FIG. 24 to a display element of the passive matrix type.Furthermore, as in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 22, it wouldalso be acceptable to include a process of transferring a structurewhich has been formed with a stripping layer 581 upon a substrate platefor stripping 580 to the display substrate plate 502.

[0218] And, with regard to the hydrophilic and hydrophobic distribution,it would also be acceptable to form the insulating layer of metal,anodized oxide film, or polyimide or silicon oxide or the like from somedifferent material. It should also be understood that in the case of adisplay element of the passive matrix type it would be acceptable toform it from the first bus connecting wires 550, while in the case of adisplay element of the active matrix type, it would be acceptable toform it from the scan line 503, the signal line 504, the picture elementelectrode 511, the insulating layer 530, or the light interception layer6 b.

[0219] The display device shown in FIG. 25 is one in which it iscontemplated, not to enhance the accuracy of the patterning by takingadvantage of the steps 535 or the distribution of hydrophobic andhydrophilic characteristics or the like, but, rather, to enhance theaccuracy of the patterning by taking advantage of attraction andrepulsion and the like due to electrical potential. FIG. 25 is asectional view showing a stage partway through the manufacturing processfor manufacture of this display device, and, since the stages before andafter this stage are substantially the same as in the case of thepreferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 through 18, description thereofand figures illustrating the same will herein be curtailed.

[0220] With this display device shown in FIG. 25, along with driving thesignal line 504 and the common power supply line 505, an electricalpotential distribution is formed by suitably turning ON and OFF atransistor not shown in the figures, so as to bring the picture elementelectrode 511 to a minus electrical potential, and so as to bring theinter layer insulating layer 530 to a plus electrical potential. And theoptical material liquid 540A, 540B which is charged to a positiveelectrical potential is selectively discharged by an ink jet method, soas to be applied in the predetermined position. By doing this, since theoptical material 540A, 540B is charged up, it is also possible to takeadvantage of static electrical charging rather than spontaneouselectrical polarization, and accordingly it is possible to enhance theaccuracy by which the patterning is performed.

[0221] It should be understood that this preferred embodiment shown inFIG. 25 can also be applied to a passive matrix type display element.Furthermore, just like the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 22, itwould also be acceptable to include a process of transferring astructure formed via a stripping layer 581 upon a substrate plate forstripping 580 to the display substrate plate 502

[0222] Furthermore, although voltage is supplied to both the pictureelement electrode 511 and the inter layer insulating layer 530 whichsurrounds it, the present invention is not to be considered as beinglimited by this feature; for example, as shown in FIG. 49, it would alsobe acceptable, without supplying any voltage to the picture elementelectrode 511, to supply a positive voltage only to the inter layerinsulating layer 530, and to thus bring the optical material liquid 540Ato a positive electrical potential by induction. Since, according tothis structure shown in FIG. 49, the optical material liquid 540A canreliably be maintained in this state at a positive induced potentialeven after application, accordingly it is possible more reliably toprevent the optical material liquid 540A flowing out to the surroundingportions, due to the repulsive force between it and the surroundinginter layer insulating layer 530.

ANOTHER PREFERRED EMBODIMENT RELATED TO A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF ANELECTRO OPTICAL DEVICE WHICH USES AN ELECTROLUMINESCENT ELEMENT

[0223] Next, another preferred embodiment of the method of manufactureof an electro optical device according to the present invention will beexplained with reference to the drawings. In the following, the factthat this invention is applied to an electro optical device which is adisplay device of the active matrix type and which employs anelectro-luminescent display element is the same as in the case of theabove described preferred embodiment, and also its circuit structure isthe same as that of the previous preferred embodiment described aboveand shown in FIG. 14.

STRUCTURE OF THE DISPLAY DEVICE

[0224]FIG. 30(a) is a schematic plan view of the display device of thispreferred embodiment, while FIG. 30(b) is a schematic sectional viewtaken in a plane shown by the arrows A-B in FIG. 30(a). As shown inthese figures, the display device 31 according to this preferredembodiment of the present invention comprises a transparent base plate32 which is made from glass or the like, a set of light emittingelements which are arranged in the form of a matrix, and a sealingsubstrate plate. The light emitting elements which are formed upon thebase plate 32 are constituted by a picture element electrode, afunctional layer, and a negative electrode 42.

[0225] The base plate 32 is a transparent substrate plate made of, forexample, glass or the like, and is compartmented into a display region32 a which is positioned centrally upon the base plate 32, and a nondisplay region 32 b which is positioned around the peripheral edge ofthe base plate 32, disposed on the outside of the display region 32 a.

[0226] The display region 32 a is a region which is made up from lightemitting elements which are arranged in the form of a matrix, i.e. is aso called available for display region. Furthermore, the non displayregion 32 b is formed on the outside of the display region 32 a. And adummy display region 32 d is formed in this non display region 32 b,adjacent to the display region 32 a.

[0227] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 30(b), a circuit element portion 44is provided between light emitting element portions 41, which are madeup from light emitting elements and bank portions, and the base plate32; and the previously mentioned scan lines, signal lines, holdcapacity, switching thin film transistors, and thin film transistors 123for drive and the like are provided to this circuit element portion 44.

[0228] Furthermore, one end of the negative electrode 42 is connected toa negative electrode connecting wire 42 a which is formed upon the baseplate 32, and the one tip portion of this connecting wire 42 a isconnected to a connecting wire 35 a upon a flexible substrate plate 35.Furthermore, the connecting wire 35 a is connected to a drive IC (drivecircuit) 36 which is provided upon the flexible substrate plate 35.

[0229] Yet further, as shown in FIG. 30(a) and FIG. 30(b), electricalpower supply lines 103 (103R, 103G, and 103B) are connected to the nondisplay region 32 b of the circuit element portion 44.

[0230] Furthermore, the previously mentioned scanning side drivecircuits 105, 105 are provided at both sides as seen in FIG. 30(a) ofthe display region 32 a. These scanning side drive circuits 105, 105 areprovided within the circuit element portion 844 of the lower side of thedummy region 32 d. Moreover, drive circuit control signal lead wires 105a which are connected to the scanning side drive circuits 105, 105 anddrive circuit electric power source lead wires 105 b are provided withinthe circuit element portion 44.

[0231] And furthermore, a checking circuit 106 is provided at the upperside of the display region 32 a as seen in FIG. 30(a). By the use ofthis checking circuit 106, it is possible to perform checking of thequality of the display device during manufacture and before shipping,and to detect any defects in it.

[0232] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 30(b), a sealing portion 33 isprovided over the light emitting element portions 41. This sealingportion 33 is made′ up from a sealing resin 603 a which is applied uponthe base plate 32, and a covering and sealing substrate plate 604. Thesealing resin 603 may consist of a heat curing resin or an ultravioletlight curing resin or the like, and in particular, it is desirable forit to be an epoxy resin, which is one type of heat curing resin.

[0233] This sealing resin 603 is applied in the form of a ring aroundthe periphery of the base plate 32; for example, it may be applied byusing a micro dispenser or the like (not shown in the figures). Sincethis sealing resin 603 bonds the base plate 32 and the covering andsealing cover plate 604 together, the entry of water or oxygen into theinternal portion under the covering and sealing substrate plate 604,between it and the base plate 32, is positively prohibited, andaccordingly oxidization of the negative electrode 42 or of a lightemission layer, not shown in the figures, which is formed in the lightemitting element portions 41 is prevented.

[0234] Since the covering and sealing substrate plate 604 is made fromglass or a metallic material, and it is adhered to the base plate 32with the sealing resin 603, accordingly a concave portion 604 a isdefined, in the inside of which the display element 40 is received.Furthermore, a getter element 605 which absorbs water or oxygen or thelike is provided within this concave portion 604 a, and accordingly itbecomes possible to absorb any water or oxygen or the like which haspenetrated to the internal portion of the device, below the sealingsubstrate plate 604. It should be understood that this getter materialmay be omitted, without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

[0235] Next, a magnified view of the sectional structure of the displayregion of this display device is shown in FIG. 31. This figure includesthree of the picture element regions A. This display device 31 comprisesa circuit element portion 44 which is made of a circuit such as TFT orthe like, and a light emitting portion 41 within which a functionallayer 110 is formed, superimposed in order as layers upon the base plate32.

[0236] With this display device 31, light which has been emitted fromthe functional layer 110 towards the side of the base plate 32 passesthrough the circuit element portion 44 and the base plate 32 and isemitted on the lower side of the base plate 32 (the observer side), andalso the light which has been emitted from the functional layer 110towards the side which is opposite to the base plate 32 is reflected bythe negative electrode 42, and then passes through the circuit elementportion 44 and the base plate 32, thus also coming to be emitted on thelower side of the base plate 32 (the observer side).

[0237] It should be understood that it would be possible for light to beemitted from the negative electrode side of the display device by usinga transparent material for the negative electrode 42. It would bepossible to use, as this transparent material, ITO, Pt, Ir, Ni, or Pd.It is desirable to make the film thickness be about 75 nm; or,alternatively, it may be desirable to make the film thickness eventhinner.

[0238] In the circuit element portion 44, upon the base plate 32, thereis formed a protective backing layer 32 c which is made from siliconoxide film, and islands (blobs) of semiconductor film 141 which are madefrom polycrystalline silicon are formed upon this protective backinglayer 32 c. It should be understood that source regions 141 a and drainregions 141 b are formed in the semiconductor films 141 by highconcentration P ion bombardment. Furthermore, a portion into which P hasnot been injected constitutes a channel region.

[0239] Furthermore, a transparent gate insulating layer 142 which coversover the protective backing layer 32 c and the semiconductor films 141is formed in the circuit element portion 44, gate electrodes 143 (thescan lines 101) made from Al, Mo, Ta, Ti, W or the like are formed overthis gate insulating layer 142, and a transparent first inter layerinsulating layer 144 a and a transparent second inter layer insulatinglayer 144 b are formed over the gate electrodes 143 and the gateinsulating layer 142. The gate electrodes 143 are provided in positionswhich correspond to the channel regions 141 c of the semiconductor films141.

[0240] Furthermore, contact holes 145 and 146 for respectivelyconnecting to the source and the drain regions 141 a and 141 b of thesemiconductor films 141 re pierced through the first and the secondinter layer insulating layers 144 a and 144 b.

[0241] And transparent picture element electrodes 111 which are madefrom ITO or the like are formed upon the second inter layer insulatinglayer 144 b by patterning in a predetermined pattern, and the one set ofcontact holes 145 are connected to these picture element electrodes 111.

[0242] Furthermore, the other set of contact holes 146 are connected tothe electric power source leads 103.

[0243] By this construction, in the circuit element portion 44, a thinfilm transistor 123 is connected to each of the picture elementelectrodes 111 for driving it.

[0244] It should be understood that, although thin film transistors 112for the above described hold capacity and switching are also formed inthe circuit element portion 44, they are not shown in FIG. 31, and theirdescription will herein be curtailed.

[0245] Next, as shown in FIG. 31, the light emitting element portions 41principally comprise functional layers 110 which are superimposed aslayers over each of the plurality of picture element electrodes 111 . .. , bank portions 112 which are provided between each of the pictureelement electrodes 111 and the functional layers 110 and whichcompartment up the various functional layers 110, and the negativeelectrode 42 which is formed over these functional layers 110. Thesepicture element electrodes (first electrodes) 111, functional layers110, and the negative electrode 42 (the opposing electrode) togetherconstitute the light emitting element.

[0246] Here, the picture element 111 is formed in a substantiallyrectangular pattern as seen in plan view by, for example, being formedfrom ITO. It is desirable for the thickness of this picture elementregion 111 to be from 50 to 200 nm, and more particularly it may beabout 150 nm. The bank portions 112 are provided between each of thesepicture element electrodes 111 . . . .

[0247] The bank portions 112, as shown in FIG. 31, are each made by thesuperposition of an inorganic material bank layer 112 a (the first banklayer) which is positioned on the side towards the base plate 32, and anorganic material bank layer 112 b (the second bank layer) which ispositioned further from the base plate 32.

[0248] The inorganic material bank layers 112 a and the organic materialbank layers 112 b are formed so as to ride up over the edge portions ofthe picture element electrodes 111. As seen in plan view, the structureis such that the surroundings of the picture element electrodes 111 andthe inorganic material bank layers 112 a are arranged so as to besuperimposed upon one another. Furthermore, in the same manner, theorganic material bank layers 112 b are also, in plan view, superimposedover the one portions of the picture element electrodes 111.Furthermore, the inorganic material bank layers 112 a are formed so thatedge portions 112e thereof extend more towards the centers of thepicture element electrodes 111 than do the organic material bank layers112 b. According to this construction, by these edge portions 112e ofthe inorganic material bank layers 112 a being formed so as to extendmore towards the centers of the picture element electrodes 111, loweropening portions 112 c are formed which correspond to the positionswhere the picture element electrodes 111 are formed.

[0249] Furthermore, upper opening portions 112 d are formed in theorganic material bank layers 112 b. These upper opening portions 112 dare provided so as to correspond to the positions in which the pictureelement electrodes 111 are formed, and to the lower opening portions 112c. The upper opening portions 112 d, as shown in FIG. 31, are made to bewider than the lower opening portions 112 c and narrower than thepicture element electrodes 111. Furthermore, it may be the case that thepositions of the tops of the upper openings 112 d and of the tipportions of the picture element electrodes 111 are made to be almost inthe same position. In this case, as shown in FIG. 31, the sections ofthe upper openings 112 d of the organic material bank layer 112 b areformed so as to be inclined.

[0250] And, by connecting together the lower opening portions 112 c andthe upper opening portions 112 d in the bank portions 112, openingportions 112 g are defined which are pierced through the inorganicmaterial bank layers 112 a and the organic material bank layers 112 b.

[0251] Furthermore, it is desirable to make the inorganic material banklayers 112 a from an inorganic material such as, for example, SiO₂,TiO₂, or the like. The film thickness of this inorganic material banklayer 112 a is desirably in the range from 50 to 200 nm, and inparticular may be 150 nm. If the film thickness is less than 50 nm, theinorganic material bank layers 112 a becomes thinner than a positivehole injection/transport layer which will be described hereinafter,which is not desirable, since it becomes impossible to ensure theflatness of the positive hole injection/transport layer. On the otherhand, if the film thickness is greater than 200 nm, then the steps dueto the lower opening portions 112 c become large, and this is notdesirable, because it becomes impossible to ensure the flatness of alight emission layer which will be described hereinafter which issuperimposed over the positive hole injection/transport layer.

[0252] Furthermore, the organic material bank layers 112 b are formed ofa material which is heat resistant and solvent resistant, such asacrylic resin, polyimide resin, or the like. The thickness of theseorganic material bank layers 112 b is desirably in the range of from 0.1to 3.5 μm, and in particular may be about 2 μm. If their thicknesses areless than 0.1 μm, then the organic material bank layers 112 b becomethinner than the total thickness of the positive holeinjection/transport layer and the light emission layer which will bedescribed hereinafter, and this is not desirable, because there is adanger that the light emission layer might overflow from the upperopening portions 112 d. On the other hand, if the thicknesses of theorganic material bank layers 112 b are less than 0.1 μm, then the stepsdue to the upper opening portions 112 d become large, and this is notdesirable, because it becomes impossible to ensure the step coverage ofthe negative electrode 42 which is formed upon the organic material banklayer 112 b. Furthermore, if the thicknesses of the organic materialbank layers 112 b are greater than 0.2 μm, this is desirable from thepoint of view that it becomes possible to enhance the insulation withrespect to the thin film transistors for drive 123.

[0253] Furthermore, both regions which exhibit hydrophiliccharacteristics and regions which exhibit hydrophobic characteristicsare formed upon the bank portions 112.

[0254] The regions which exhibit hydrophilic characteristics are thefirst layered portions of the inorganic material bank layers 112 a andthe electrode surfaces 111 a of the picture element electrodes 111, andthese regions are surface processed so as to have hydrophiliccharacteristics by plasma processing using oxygen as the processing gas.On the other hand, the regions which exhibit hydrophobic characteristicsare the wall surfaces of the upper opening portions 112 d and the uppersurfaces 112 f of the organic material bank layers 112, and theseregions are surface processed so as to have hydrophobic characteristicsby plasma processing using Tetrafluoromethane or Tetrafluorocarbon asthe processing gas. It should be understood that it would also beacceptable to make the organic material bank layers from a materialwhich included a fluorinated polymer.

[0255] Next, as shown in FIG. 31, the functional layer 110 is made froma positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a which is superimposedover the picture lelement electrode 111, and a light emission layer 110b which is formed adjacent to and over this positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a. It should be understood that it wouldalso be acceptable to form yet another functional layer, adjacent to thelight emission layer 110 b, which was endowed with the function ofacting as an electron injection/transport layer and the like.

[0256] The positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a, along withbeing endowed with the function of injecting positive holes into thelight emission layer 110 b, also is endowed with the function oftransporting these positive holes within the internal portion of thispositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a. By providing this type ofpositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a between the pictureelement electrode 111 and the light emission layer 110 b, the lightemission efficiency of the light emission layer 110 b, and thecharacteristics of this display component such as its service lifetimeand the like, are enhanced. Furthermore, in the light emission layer 110b, the positive holes which have been injected from the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a and the electrons which have beeninjected from the negative electrode 42 are united with one another, andthereby light emission is obtained.

[0257] The positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a is made up fromflat portions 110 a 1 which are formed over the picture elementelectrode surfaces 111 a which are positioned within the lower openingportions 112 c, and peripheral edge portions 110 a 2 which are formedover the first superimposed layer portions 112 e of the inorganicmaterial bank layers which are positioned within the upper openingportions 112 d. Furthermore, due to its structure, the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a is positioned over the picture elementelectrodes 111, and moreover it is only formed between the inorganicmaterial bank layers 112 a, i.e. the lower opening portions 110 c (thereare also possible embodiments in which it is only made in the flatportions which have been previously described).

[0258] The thickness of these flat portions 110 a 1 is made to beconstant, and to fall, for example, in the range from 50 to 70 nm.

[0259] If the peripheral edge portions 110 a 2 are formed, theseperipheral edge portions 110 a 2, along with being positioned over thefirst superimposed portions 112 e, are tightly adhered to the wallsurfaces of the upper openings 112 d, in other words to the organicmaterial bank layers 112 b.

[0260] Furthermore, the thickness of the peripheral edge portions 110 a2 is thinner at their sides closer to the electrode surfaces 111 a, andincreases along the direction away from the electrode surfaces 111 a,and is at its thickest near to the wall surfaces of the lower openingportions 112 d.

[0261] The reason that the peripheral edge portions 110 a 2 exhibit theabove type of shape, is because the positive hole injection/transportlayer 110 a is formed by discharging a first mixture material containingthe source material for the positive hole injection/transport layer anda polar solvent, into the opening portions 112, and then by eliminatingthe polar solvent by vaporization, and this vaporization of the polarsolvent principally takes place over the first superimposed layerportions 112 e of the inorganic material bank layers 112 a, so that thesource material for the positive hole injection/transport layer isthickened and deposited over these first superimposed layer portions 112e, so as to be concentrated therein.

[0262] Furthermore, the light emission layers liOb are formed over thesurfaces of the flat portions 110 a 1 and the peripheral edge portions110 a 2 of the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a, and theirthicknesses over the flat portions 112 a 1 are in the range of from 50to 80 nm.

[0263] The light emission layers liOb are of three types—a red coloredlight emission layer 110 b 1 which emits red (R) colored light, a greencolored light emission layer 110 b 2 which emits green (G) coloredlight, and a blue colored light emission layer 110 b 3 which emits blue(B) colored light; and these various light emission layers 110 b 1through 110 b 3 are, in this embodiment, arranged in stripe form.

[0264] As has been described above, since the peripheral edge portions110 a 2 of the positive hole injection/transport layers 110 a aretightly contacted against the wall surfaces of the upper openingportions 112 d (the organic material bank layers 112 b), thus the lightemission layers 110 b do not directly contact against the organicmaterial bank layers 112 b. Accordingly, the possibility of water whichis included as an impurity in the organic material bank layers 112 bshifting to the side of the light emission layers 110 b can bepositively blocked by the peripheral edge portions 110 a 2, and thus itis possible to prevent oxidization of the light emission layers 110 b bysuch percolating water.

[0265] Furthermore, since the peripheral edge portions 110 a 2 areformed in uneven thickness over the first superimposed layer portions112 e of the inorganic material bank layers, accordingly the peripheraledge portions 110 a 2 come to be in the state of being insulated fromthe picture element electrodes 111 by the first superimposed layerportions 112 e, and thus positive holes are not injected from theperipheral edge portions 110 a 2 into the light emission layers 110 b.Due to this, the electric current only flows from the picture elementelectrodes 111 into the flat portions 112 a, and it is possible toensure that the transport of positive holes from the flat portions 112 a1 into the light emission layers 110 b is even, so that, along withlight only being emitted from the central portions of the light emissionlayers 110 b, also it is possible to make the amount of light which isgenerated by the light emission layers 110 b to be constant.

[0266] Yet further, since the inorganic material bank layers 112 a areextended yet further towards the centers of the picture elementelectrodes 111 than the organic material bank layers 112 b, accordinglyit is possible to perform trimming of the shapes of the portions wherethe picture element electrodes 111 and the flat portions 110 a 1 areconnected together by these inorganic material bank layers 112 a, andthus it is possible to repress deviation in light generation strengthbetween the various light emission layers 110 b.

[0267] Even further, since the electrode faces 111 a of the pictureelement electrodes 111 and the first superimposed layer portions 112 eof the inorganic material bank layers both exhibit hydrophiliccharacteristics, accordingly the functional layers 110 are uniformlysealed against the picture element electrodes 111 and the inorganicmaterial bank layers 912 a, and the functional layer 110 does not becomeextremely thin over the inorganic material bank layers 112 a, so that itis possible to prevent short circuiting between the picture elementelectrodes 111 and the negative electrode 42.

[0268] Again, since the upper surfaces 112 f of the organic materialbank layers 112 b and the wall surfaces of the upper opening portions112 d both exhibit hydrophobic characteristics, the tightness of contactbetween the functional layers 110 and the organic material bank layers112 b becomes low, and it does not happen that the functional layers 110are made to overflow from the opening portions 112 g.

[0269] Moreover, as the material for making the positive holeinjection/transport layer, for example, dispersion liquid of a mixtureof polythiophenederivetive etc., for instancepolyethylenedioxythiophene, and polystilenesuofonic acid etc.(PEDOT/PSS) may be used. Furthermore, as the material for making thelight emission layer 110 b, for example, polyfluorenederivative,polyphenylenederivative, polyvinylcarbazole, polythiophenederivative, ordoped materials by doping perylene group pigments, coumaline grouppigments, rhodamine group pigments, for instance, rublene, perylene,9,10-diphenylanthracene, tetraphenylbutadiene, neilred, coumalin 6,quinacridone with the above polymers may be used.

[0270] Next, the negative electrode 42 is formed over the entire surfaceof the light emitting element portions 41, and, as a pair with thepicture element electrodes 111, it fulfils the function of conductingelectrical current to the functional layers 110. This negative electrode42 may be made, for example, as a superposition of a calcium layer andan aluminum layer. At this time, it is desirable to provide the onewhose work function is the lower to the negative electrode on the sidewhich is closer to the light emission layer, and in particular, in thisembodiment, to directly contact it to the light emission layer 110 b, soas to fulfill the function of injecting electrons into the lightemission layer 110 b. Furthermore, it sometimes is the case that it isdesirable to provide LiF between the light emission layer 110 and thenegative electrode 42, since lithium fluoride is efficient at causinglight to be emitted from the material for the light emission layer.

[0271] Furthermore, the material for the red colored (R) and the greencolored (G) light emission layers 110 b 1 and 110 b 2 is not limited tobeing lithium fluoride; it would be acceptable to employ some othermaterial. Accordingly, in this case, it would be acceptable to make onlythe blue colored (B) light emission layer 110 b 3 from lithium fluoride,and to superimpose thereupon the other red colored (R) and the greencolored (G) light emission layers 110 b 1 and 110 b 2 which were madefrom some other material than lithium fluoride. Furthermore, it wouldalso be acceptable not to form any lithium fluoride over the red colored(R) and the green colored (G) light emission layers 110 b 1 and 110 b 2,but to make them only from calcium.

[0272] Moreover, the thickness of the lithium fluoride is desirably inthe range of, for example, 2 to 5 nm, and in particular it may beapproximately 2 nm. Furthermore, the thickness of the calcium isdesirably in the range of, for example, 2 to 50 nm, and in particular itmay be approximately 20 nm.

[0273] Furthermore, since the aluminum of which the negative electrode42 is made reflects light which is emitted from the light emission layer110 b towards the side of the base plate 32, it is desirable for it toinclude some layer other than aluminum, such as an Ag layer or asuperimposed combination of A1 and Ag, or the like. Furthermore, it isdesirable for the thickness of this layer to be within the range of, forexample, 100 to 1000 nm, and in particular it is desirable for it to beapproximately 200 nm.

[0274] Yet further, it would also be acceptable to provide a protectivelayer for preventing oxidization made from SiO, SiO₂, SiN or the likeupon the aluminum negative electrode 42.

[0275] Moreover, the sealing cover plate 604 may be provided over thislight emitting element which has been made in the above manner. As shownin FIG. 30(b), this sealing cover plate 604 may be adhered with thesealing resin 603, so as to form the display device 31.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF THE DISPLAY DEVICE

[0276] Next, a method of manufacture of this display device according tothis preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explainedwith reference to the figures.

[0277] A method of manufacture of the display device 31 of thispreferred embodiment, for example, may consist of (1) a process offormation of the bank portions; (2) a process of plasma processing(which may include a process of hydrophilization or waterrepellentation); (3) a process of forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer (a process of forming the functional layer);(4) a process of formation of the light emission layer (a process offorming the functional layer); (5) a process of formation of theopposing electrode (the negative electrode); and (6) a process ofsealing. It should be understood that the method of manufacture of thedisplay device 831 is not necessarily limited to the combination of theabove processes performed in the above order; according to requirements,various ones of these processes could be omitted, or some others couldbe added.

[0278] (1) The Process of Formation of the Bank Portions

[0279] The process of formation of the bank portions is a process offorming the bank portions 112 in predetermined positions upon the baseplate 32. In these bank portions 112, the inorganic material bank layers112 a are formed as first bank layers, and the organic material banklayers 112 b are formed as second bank layers. The method of formationof these bank layers will now be explained.

[0280] (1)-1 The process of Forming the Inorganic Material Bank Layers112 a

[0281] First, as shown in FIG. 32, the inorganic material bank layers112 a are formed upon the substrate in the predetermined positions.These positions in which the inorganic material bank layers 112 a areformed are upon the second inter layer insulating layer 144 b and uponthe electrode (here, the picture element electrode) 111. It should beunderstood that the second inter layer insulating layer 144 b is formedon top of the circuit element portion 44 in which the various componentssuch as the thin film transistors, the scan lines, the signal lines, andon are provided.

[0282] The inorganic material bank layers 112 a, for example, may bemade as inorganic material layers using SiO2, TiO2 or the like. Thesematerials may be formed, for example, using a CVD method, a coatingmethod, a spattering method, a vacuum evaporation method, or the like.

[0283] Furthermore, it is desirable for the film thickness of theinorganic material bank layers 112 a to be in the range from 50 to 200nm, and in particular it may be 150 nm.

[0284] First, the inorganic material bank layers 112 a are formed as aninorganic material layer over the entire surfaces of the inter layerinsulating layer 114 and the picture element electrode 111, and, afterthis, the inorganic material bank layers 112 a are formed by patterningthis inorganic material layer by a photolithographic method or the like,so as to create opening portions. These opening portions are located inpositions corresponding to the positions of formation of the electrodesurfaces 111 a of the picture element electrodes 111, and accordingly,as shown in FIG. 32, are provided as the lower opening portions 112 c.

[0285] At this time, the inorganic material bank layers 112 a are formedso as to overlay the peripheral edge portions (the one portions) of thepicture element electrodes 111. As shown in FIG. 32, it is possible tocontrol the light emission region of the light emission layer 110 bythus forming the inorganic material bank layers 112 a so that the oneportions of the picture element electrodes 111 and the inorganicmaterial bank layers 112 a overlap.

[0286] (1)-2 The Process of Forming the Organic Material Bank Layers 112b

[0287] Next, the organic material bank layers 112 b are formed as secondbank layers.

[0288] As shown in FIG. 33, the organic material bank layers 112 b areformed upon the inorganic material bank layers 112 a. These organicmaterial bank layers 112 b should be made from a material which is heatresistant and solvent resistant, such as, for example, acrylic resin,polyimide resin or the like. Using such a material, the organic materialbank layers 112 b are formed by patterning employing a technique such asphotolithography or the like. It should be understood that the upperopening portions 112 d are formed in these organic material bank layers112 b during this patterning. These upper opening portions 112 d areprovided in positions which correspond to the positions of the electrodefaces 111 a and the lower opening portions 112 c.

[0289] It is desirable for the upper opening portions 112 d to be made,as shown in FIG. 33, wider than the lower opening portions 112 c whichwere formed in the inorganic material bank layer 112 a. Furthermore, itis desirable for the organic material bank layer 112 b to be formed astapered, in other words, it is desirable for the opening portions of theorganic material bank layers to be formed narrower than the width of thepicture element electrodes 111, while, at the uppermost surface of theorganic material bank layers 112 b, these organic material bank layers112 b are formed so as to have almost the same widths as the widths ofthe picture element electrodes 111. According to this, the first layersuperimposed portions 112 e which surround the lower opening portions112 c of the inorganic material bank layers 112 a come to be formed soas to extend further towards the centers of the picture elementelectrodes 111 than the organic material bank layers 112 b.

[0290] By juxtaposing together the upper opening portions 112 d whichare formed in the organic material bank layers 112 b and the loweropening portions 112 c which are formed in the inorganic material banklayers 112 a in this manner, the opening portions 112 g are formed so asto pierce through the inorganic material bank layers 112 a and theorganic material bank layers 112 b.

[0291] Furthermore, it is desirable for the film thickness of theorganic material bank layers 112 b to be in the range from 0.1 to 3.5μm, and in particular it may be about 2 μm. The reason why this range isemployed will now be explained.

[0292] That is to say, if the thickness of the organic material banklayers 112 b is less than 0.1 μm, the inorganic material bank layers 112b become thinner than the total of the thicknesses of the positive holeinjection/transport layer and the light emission layers which will bedescribed hereinafter, and there is a danger that the light emissionlayers 110 b will overflow from the upper opening portions 112 d, whichwould be most undesirable.

[0293] Furthermore, if the thickness of the organic material bank layers112 b is greater than 3.5 μm, the steps become bigger than the upperopening portions 112 d, and this is not desirable, since it becomesimpossible to guarantee the step coverage of the negative electrode 42at the upper opening portions 112 d. Furthermore, it is desirable forthe thickness of the organic material bank layers to be made to begreater than 2 μm, from the point of view of being able to enhance thedegree of insulation between the negative electrode 42 and the thin filmtransistors 123 for driving.

[0294] (2) The Plasma Processing Process

[0295] The following plasma processing process is performed with theobjective of activating the surfaces of the picture element electrodes111, and also with the objective of performing surface processing of thesurfaces of the bank portions 112. In particular, the activation processis performed with the principal objectives of cleaning the surface ofthe picture element electrodes 111 (ITO), and also of adjusting the workfunction thereof. Furthermore, a process of making the surfaces of thepicture element electrodes to be hydrophilic (a hydrophilizationprocess) and a process of making the surfaces of the bank portions 912to be hydrophobic (a water repellentation process) are performed.

[0296] This plasma processing process can generally, for example, beseparated into the following processes: (2)-1 a preliminary heating upprocess; (2)-2 an activation processing process (a process ofhydrophilization); (2)-3 a hydrophobic processing process (a process ofwater repellentation); and (2)-4 a process of cooling. It should beunderstood that the plasma processing process is not necessarily limitedto the combination of the above processes performed in the above order;according to requirements, various ones of these processes could beomitted, or some others could be added.

[0297] First, FIG. 34 shows a plasma processing device which is used forthis plasma processing process.

[0298] The plasma processing device 50 shown in FIG. 34 comprises apreliminary heating processing chamber 51, a first plasma processingchamber 52, a second plasma processing chamber 53, a cooling processingchamber 54, and a transport device 55 which transports the base plate 32into each of these processing chambers 51 through 54. These processingchambers 51 through 54 are arranged radially around the transport device55, which is at the center.

[0299] First, the overall process which employs these devices will beexplained.

[0300] The preliminary heating up process is performed in thepreliminary heating processing chamber 51 shown in FIG. 34. And the baseplate 32 which has been transported from the previous bank portionformation process is heated up to a predetermined temperature in thispreliminary heating processing chamber 51.

[0301] After the preliminary heating up process, a hydrophilizationprocessing process and a water repellentation processing process areperformed. That is to say, the work-piece is transported in order to thefirst plasma processing chamber 52 and then to the second plasmaprocessing chamber 53, and plasma processing is performed upon the bankportions 112 in each of these plasma processing chambers 52 and 53, soas to subject them to hydrophilization. After this hydrophilizationprocess, water repellentation processing is performed. After this waterrepellentation process, the workpiece is transported to the coolingprocessing chamber 54, and in this cooling processing chamber 54 thework-piece is cooled to room temperature. After this cooling process,the work-piece is transported by the transport device to the positivehole injection/transport layer formation process, which is the nextmajor process in order to be performed.

[0302] In the following, these various processes will be explained indetail.

[0303] (2)-1The Preliminary Heating up Process

[0304] This preliminary heating up process is performed by thepreliminary heating processing chamber 51. In this processing chamber51, the base plate 832 which includes the bank portions 112 is heated upto a predetermined temperature.

[0305] As a method of heating up the base plate 32, for example, themeans may be employed of fitting a heater upon a stage upon which thebase plate 32 is mounted in the processing chamber 51, and of heating upthe base plate 32 together with the stage by this heater. It should beunderstood that it would also be possible to utilize various othermethods, as appropriate.

[0306] The base plate 32 is heated up in the preliminary heatingprocessing chamber 51 to, for example, a temperature of 70 degreeCelsius to 80 degree Celsius. This temperature is the processingtemperature for the plasma processing which is the next process, and thebase plate 32 is heated up as a preparation for this next process, withthe objective of eliminating variations in the temperature of the baseplate 32.

[0307] If hypothetically this preliminary heating up process were not tobe applied, then, during the plasma processing process, the processingwould be performed while the temperature was always varying from thestart of the process to the end of the process, as the base plate 32 washeated up from room temperature to the above type of temperature.Accordingly, due to performing the plasma processing while thework-piece temperature was varying, there would be a possibility thatthe characteristic of the resulting organic electro-luminescent displayelement might be uneven. Therefore the preliminary heating up process isperformed, in order to maintain constant processing conditions, and inorder to obtain a uniform characteristic for the resultant product.

[0308] In this connection, when, in the plasma processing process, ahydrophilization process or a water repellentation process is performedin the state in which the base plate 32 is held upon the stage withinthe first and second plasma processing devices 52 and 53, it isdesirable for the preliminary heating up temperature to be almost thesame temperature as the temperature of the sample stage 56 upon whichthe hydrophilization process or the water repellentation process iscontinuously performed.

[0309] Thus, by raising the temperature of the sample stage within thefirst and second plasma processing devices 52 and 53 so as to performpreliminary heating up of the base plate 32 in advance to a temperatureof, for example, 70 degree Celsius to 80 degree Celsius, it is possibleto keep the plasma processing conditions almost constant from directlyafter the start of the processing until just before the end of theprocessing, even in the case that plasma processing is being performedcontinuously upon a large number of work-pieces. Due to this, theprocessing conditions upon the surface of the base plate 832 are madeconstant, and it is possible to keep the dampness of the material ofwhich the bank portions 112 are composed more uniform, so that itbecomes possible to manufacture a display device which is of constantquality.

[0310] Furthermore, by thus performing preliminary heating up of thebase plate 32 in advance, it becomes possible to shorten the processingtime period which is required for the subsequent plasma processing.

[0311] (2)-2 The First Activation Processing Process (the Process ofHydrophilization)

[0312] Next, activation processing is performed in the first plasmaprocessing chamber 52. This activation processing includes adjusting andcontrolling the work function of the picture element electrodes 111,cleaning the surfaces of the picture element electrodes 111, andperforming hydrophilization processing of the surfaces of the pictureelement electrodes 111.

[0313] As a hydrophilization process, plasma processing is performed inan ambient atmosphere using oxygen as the processing gas (so called O₂plasma processing). In FIG. 35, this first plasma processing process isschematically shown. As shown in FIG. 35, the base plate 32 includingthe bank portions 112 is loaded upon the sample stage 56 which includesa heater, and a plasma electrical discharge electrode 57 is arranged tooppose the base plate 32 at a distance or gap interval of approximately0.5 to 2 mm from the upper side of the base plate 832. The base plate832 is transported by the sample stage 56 at a predetermined transportspeed in the direction of the arrow in the figure while being heated upby the sample stage 56, and during this transportation the base plate 32is irradiated with oxygen in the plasma state.

[0314] The conditions of this O₂ plasma processing, for example, may be:plasma power 100 to 800 kW, oxygen gas flow rate 50 to 100 ml/min, baseplate transport speed 0.5 to 10 mm/sec, and work-piece temperature 70degree Celsius to 90 degree Celsius. It should be understood that theheating up by the sample stage 56 is principally performed in order tomaintain the temperature of the base plate 32 which has been previouslysubjected to preliminary heating up, as explained above.

[0315] By this 02 plasma processing, as shown in FIG. 36, the electrodesurfaces 111 a of the picture element electrodes 111, the firstsuperimposed layer portions 121 e of the inorganic material bank layers112 a, and the wall surfaces of the upper opening portions 112 d and theupper surfaces 112 f of the organic material bank layers 912 b areprocessed to be hydrophilic.

[0316] Hydroxyl groups are introduced into these various surfaces bythis hydrophilization processing, so as to endow them with hydrophiliccharacteristics.

[0317] The portions which have been subjected to hydrophilizationprocessing are shown in FIG. 36 by the single dotted broken lines.

[0318] It should be understood that this O₂ plasma processing does notonly impart a hydrophilic characteristic to the subject surfaces; by theabove described processing, it also serves to clean the ITO whichconstitutes the picture element electrodes, and also to adjust its workfunction.

[0319] (2)-3 The Second Hydrophobic Processing Process (the Process ofWater Repellentation)

[0320] Next, as a water repellentation process, plasma processing isperformed in the second plasma processing chamber 53 in an ambientatmosphere, using tetrafluoromethane as the processing gas (so calledCF₄ plasma processing). The internal structure of the second plasmaprocessing chamber 53 is the same as the internal structure of the firstplasma processing chamber 52 shown in FIG. 35. In other words, the baseplate 32 is transported by the sample stage at a predetermined transportspeed while being heated up by the sample stage 56, and during thistransportation the base plate 32 is irradiated with tetrafluoromethane(CF₄) in the plasma state.

[0321] The conditions of this CF₄ plasma processing, for example, maybe: plasma power 100 to 800 kW, CF₄ gas flow rate 50 to 100 ml/min,work-piece transport speed 0.5 to 1020 mm/sec, and work-piecetemperature 70 degree Celsius to 90 degree Celsius. It should beunderstood that, just as was the case in the first plasma processingchamber 52, the heating up by the sample stage is principally performedin order to maintain the temperature of the base plate 32 which has beenpreviously subjected to preliminary heating up, as explained above.

[0322] Moreover, it should be understood that the processing gas is notlimited to being tetrafluoromethane; it would also be possible toutilize some other fluorocarbon type gas.

[0323] By this CF₄ plasma processing, as shown in FIG. 37, the wallsurfaces of the upper opening portions 112 d and the upper surfaces 112f of the organic material bank layers are processed to be hydrophobic.Fluorine groups are introduced into these various surfaces by this waterrepellentation processing, so as to endow them with hydrophiliccharacteristics. The portions which have been subjected to waterrepellentation processing are shown in FIG. 37 by the double dottedbroken lines. The organic material such as acrylic resin, polyimideresin or the like of which the organic material bank layers 112 b arecomposed can be easily hydrophobized by irradiation with fluorocarbon inthe plasma state. Furthermore, this preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is particularly effective, because the particularcharacteristic is exhibited that the portions which have been subjectedto preliminary processing with 02 plasma can more easily be fluoridized.

[0324] It should be noted that, although the electrode surfaces 111 a ofthe picture element electrodes 111 and the first superimposed layerportions 112 e of the inorganic material bank layers 112 a are alsosubjected to the influence of this CF₄ plasma processing to a greater orlesser extent, very little influence is exerted upon their dampness. InFIG. 37, The portions which exhibit hydrophilic characteristics areshown by the single dotted broken lines.

[0325] (2)-4 The Process of Cooling

[0326] Next, as a cooling process, the base plate 32 which was heated upfor the plasma processing processes is cooled to a controlledtemperature using the cooling processing chamber 54. In other words,this process is performed for cooling the work-piece to the suitableoperating temperature for a liquid drop discharge process (a functionallayer formation process) which is the subsequent process.

[0327] This cooling processing chamber 54 comprises a plate for holdingthe base plate 32, and this plate is made to include a water coolingdevice, so as to cool the base plate 32.

[0328] Furthermore, by cooling the base plate 32 after the plasmaprocessing to room temperature or to a predetermined temperature (forexample, the operating temperature for the liquid drop dischargeprocess), the temperature of the base plate 32 becomes constant in thesubsequent process of formation of the positive hole injection/transportlayer, and it is possible to perform the subsequent processes at an eventemperature with the base plate 32 not being subject to temperaturevariations. Accordingly, by adding this type of cooling process, it ispossible to form uniformly the material which is discharged by thedischarge means such as a liquid drop discharge method or the like.

[0329] For example, when discharging a first composite material whichincludes a material for forming the positive hole injection/transportlayer, it is possible to discharge this first composite materialcontinuously at a constant volume, so that it is possible to form auniform positive hole injection/transport layer.

[0330] In the above described plasma processing processes, it ispossible easily to provide the desired regions of hydrophiliccharacteristics and the regions of hydrophobic characteristics upon thebank portions 112, by processing the organic material bank layers 112 band the inorganic material bank layers 112 a by O₂ plasma processing andCF₄ plasma processing in sequence.

[0331] It should be understood that the plasma processing device whichis to be used for the plasma processing processes is not to beconsidered as being limited to the device shown in FIG. 34; for example,it would also be possible to utilize the plasma processing device 60shown in FIG. 38.

[0332] The plasma processing device 60 shown in FIG. 38 comprises apreliminary heating processing chamber 61, a first plasma processingchamber 62, a second plasma processing chamber 63, a cooling processingchamber 64, and a transport device 65 which transports the base plate 32into each of these processing chambers 61 through 64; and theseprocessing chambers 61 through 64 are arranged linearly upon both sidesof the transport direction of the transport device 65 (i.e. on bothsides of the direction shown by the arrow in the figure).

[0333] With this plasma processing device 60, in the same manner as withthe plasma processing device 50 which was shown in FIG. 34, the baseplate 32 which has been transported from the bank portion formationprocess is transported in order to the preliminary heating processingchamber 61, the first plasma processing chamber 62, the second plasmaprocessing chamber 63, and the cooling processing chamber 64, and, afterthe same processes have been performed by these various processingchambers in the same manner as described above, the base plate 32 istransported to the subsequent positive hole injection/transport layerformation process.

[0334] Furthermore, for the above described plasma device, rather than adevice which operated in the ambient atmosphere, a plasma processingdevice could also be utilized which operated in a vacuum.

[0335] (3) The Process of Forming the Positive Hole Injection/transportLayer (the Process of Forming the Functional Layer)

[0336] In the process of formation of the positive holeinjection/transport layer, a first composite material which includes amaterial for forming the positive hole injection/transport layer isdischarged over the picture electrode surfaces 111 a by utilizing, forexample, a liquid drop discharge device for liquid drop discharge.Drying processing and heat processing are performed after this dischargeprocess, and thereby the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 ais formed over the picture element electrodes 111 and the inorganicmaterial bank layers 112 a. It should be understood that the inorganicmaterial bank layers 112 a upon which this positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a has been formed are termed the firstsuperimposed layer portions 112 e.

[0337] It is desirable for the following processes, which include thispositive hole injection/transport layer formation process, to beperformed in an atmosphere which contains no water or oxygen. Forexample, it is desirable for them to be performed in an inert gasatmosphere such as a nitrogen atmosphere, an argon atmosphere, or thelike.

[0338] It should be understood that the positive holeinjection/transport layer may not be formed over the first superimposedlayer portions 112 e. In other words, there are some embodiments of thepresent invention in which the positive hole injection/transport layeris only formed over the picture element electrodes 111.

[0339] The method of manufacture by liquid drop discharge is as follows.

[0340] As a desirable type of liquid drop discharge head for use in themethod of manufacture of a display device according to this preferredembodiment of the present invention, a head unit 120 (refer to FIG. 39)which has almost the same basic structure as the head unit according tothe previous preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2 may be used.Furthermore, with regard to the arrangement of the work-piece and theabove described head unit, the arrangement shown in FIG. 39 isdesirable.

[0341] In the liquid drop discharge device shown in FIG. 39, there isincluded a head unit 120 which has almost the same structure as the oneshown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the reference symbol 1115 denotes a stageupon which the base plate 32 is mounted, while the reference symbol 1116denotes a pair of guide rails which guide the stage 1115 along the Xaxis direction in the figure (the main scanning direction). And the headunit 120 is arranged to be capable of being shifted, via a supportmember 1111, in the Y axis direction in the figure (the widthwisescanning direction) along guide rails 1113, and moreover this head unit120 is arranged to be rotatable around the θ axis direction as shown inthe figure, so that ink jet heads 121 may be inclined to a predeterminedangle with respect to the main scanning direction.

[0342] The base plate 32 shown in FIG. 39 is made as a plurality ofchips disposed upon a motherboard. In other words, a single regioncontaining chips corresponds to a single display device. Although in thefigure it is shown that three display regions 32 a have been formed,this is not to be considered as being limitative of the presentinvention. For example, when applying the composite material upon theleft side display region 32 a upon the base plate 32, along withshifting the heads 121 along the guide rails 1113 to the left side inthe figure, they are also shifted along the guide rails 1116 to theupper side in the figure, and the composite material is applied whilescanning the base plate 32. Next the heads 121 are shifted to thecentral position in the figure, and the composite material is applied tothe central display region 32 a of the work-piece. The same procedure,mutatis mutandis, is applied for applying the composite material to theright side display region 32 a in the figure.

[0343] It should be understood that the head unit and the liquid dropdischarge device shown in FIG. 39 are not limited to use in the positivehole injection/transport layer formation process; they may also be usedfor the light emission layer formation process.

[0344]FIG. 40 shows the state in which a ink jet head 121 is beingscanned with respect to the base plate 32. As shown in this figure,although the first composite material is discharged while relativelyshifting the ink jet heads 121 along the X direction in the figure, atthis time, the direction Z of arrangement of the nozzles is in the stateof being inclined with respect to the main scanning direction (along theX direction). By arranging the direction of arrangement of the nozzles nof the ink jet head 121 to be inclined with respect to the main scanningdirection in this manner, it is possible to make the pitch of thenozzles correspond to the pitch of the picture element regions A.Furthermore, by adjusting the angle of inclination, it is possible tomake the pitch of the nozzles correspond to the pitch of any type ofpicture element regions A.

[0345] Next, the process of forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a in each of the picture element regions Aby scanning the ink jet head 121 will be explained. For this processthere are three possibilities: (1) a method which is performed with asingle scanning episode of the ink jet head 121; (2) a method which isperformed with a plurality of scanning episodes of the ink jet head 121,and moreover by using a plurality of nozzles during those scanningepisodes; and (3) a method which is performed with a plurality ofscanning episodes of the ink jet head 121, and moreover by using aseparate nozzle in each of those scanning episodes. In the following,each of these three methods (1) through (3) will be explained in order.

[0346] (1) A Method Performed With a Single Scan of the Ink Jet Head 121

[0347]FIG. 41 is a process diagram showing this process when forming thepositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a upon the various pictureelement regions A1 . . . with a single scan of the ink jet head 121.FIG. 41(a) shows the situation after the ink jet head 121 has scannedfrom the position shown in FIG. 41 along the X direction in the figure;FIG. 41(b) shows the situation when, from the situation shown in FIG.41(a), the ink jet head 121, along with scanning a little along the Xdirection in the figure, has also shifted in the direction opposite tothe Y direction in the figure; and FIG. 41(c) shows the situation when,from the situation shown in FIG. 41(b), the ink jet head 121, along withscanning a little along the X direction in the figure, has also shiftedin the Y direction in the figure.

[0348] Furthermore, in FIG. 44 there is shown a schematic sectional viewof the picture element regions A and of the ink jet head. Six of thenozzles which are provided to one portion of the ink jet head 121 areshown in FIG. 41 and are designated by the reference symbols n1 athrough n3 b. Three of these six nozzles, the ones designated as n1 a,n2 a, and n3 a, are arranged so as to be respectively positioned overpicture element regions A1 through A3 when the ink jet head 121 isshifted in the X direction as seen in the figure, while the other threeof the six nozzles, i.e. the ones designated as n1 b, n2 b, and n3 b,are arranged so as to be positioned between adjacent ones of the pictureelement regions A1 through A3 when the ink jet head 121 is shifted inthe X direction as seen in the figures.

[0349] In FIG. 41(a), among the nozzles which are included in the inkjet head 121, the first composite material which is included in thematerial which is to form the positive hole injection/transport layer isdischarged upon the picture element regions A1 through A3 from the threenozzles n1 a through n3 a. It should be understood that in thispreferred embodiment of the present invention the first compositematerial is discharged by scanning the ink jet head 121 over the baseplate 32, but it would also be acceptable, as an alternative, to scanthe base plate 32 under the ink jet head 121.

[0350] Furthermore, it would also be possible to discharge the firstcomposite material by shifting the ink jet head 121 and the base plate32 relatively to one another. Moreover, it should be understood thatthis point explained above also applies to the other processes describedhereinafter in relation to this liquid drop discharge head.

[0351] The discharge from the ink jet head 121 takes place as describedbelow. That is to say, as shown in FIG. 41(a) and in FIG. 44, thenozzles n1 a through n3 a which are formed in the ink jet head 121 arearranged to oppose the electrode surfaces 11 a, and an initial liquiddrop 110 c 1 of the first composite material is discharged from each ofthe nozzles n1 a through n3 a. The picture element regions A1 through A3are formed from the picture element electrodes 111 and the banks 112which compartment around the peripheries of the the picture elementelectrodes 111, and the initial liquid drops 110 c 1 of the firstcomposite material are discharged from the nozzles n1 a through n3 aagainst these picture element regions A1 through A3 with the amount ofliquid per each drop being controlled.

[0352] Next, as shown in FIG. 41(b), while scanning the ink jet head 121a little along the X direction as seen in the figure, each of thenozzles n1 b through n3 b is positioned over the corresponding one ofthe picture element regions A1 through A3 respectively by shifting theink jet head 121 along the direction opposite to the Y direction as seenin the figure. And second liquid drops 110 c 2 of the first compositematerial are discharged against the picture element regions A1 throughA3 from the nozzles n1 b through n3 b respectively.

[0353] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 41(c), while scanning the ink jethead 121 a little along the X direction as seen in the figure, each ofthe nozzles n1 a through n3 a is again positioned over the correspondingone of the picture element regions A1 through A3 respectively byshifting the ink jet head 121 along the Y direction as seen in thefigure. And third liquid drops 110 c 3 of the first composite materialare discharged against the picture element regions A1 through A3 fromthe nozzles n1 a through n3 a respectively.

[0354] By doing this, i.e. by shifting the ink jet head a little to andfro along the Y direction as seen in the figure while scanning the inkjet head 121 along the X direction as seen in the figure, liquid dropsof the first composite material are discharged against a single pictureelement region A in order from two of the nozzles. The total number ofliquid drops which are discharged against a single picture elementregion A can be in the range, for example, from 6 to 20, but this rangewill vary according to the area of the picture elements, and in somecircumstances the most appropriate number of drops may be greater orless than this stated range. The total amount of the first compositematerial which is discharged against each of the picture element regions(upon each of the electrode surfaces 111 a) is determined according tothe sizes of the lower opening portions 112 c and the upper openingportions 112 d, according to the thickness of the positive holeinjection/transport layer which it is desired to form, according to theconcentration of the material for forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer within the first composite material, and thelike.

[0355] In this manner, for the case of forming the positivehole/transport layer in a single scan, the nozzles are changed overevery time the first composite material is discharged, and, since thefirst composite material is discharged against each of the pictureelement regions A1 through A3 from two of the nozzles, accordingly, bycomparison with the case of discharging the first composite materialagainst each of the picture element regions A a plurality of times froma single nozzle as in the prior art, it is possible to perform mutualcancellation between undesirable deviations in the discharge amountsbetween the nozzles, so that undesirable deviations in the dischargeamounts of the first composite material upon each of the picture elementelectrodes 111 . . . are reduced, and it is possible to form-thepositive hole injection/transport layer of a uniform film thickness. Bydoing this, it is possible to ensure that the amount of emitted lightfrom each of the picture elements should be uniform, and accordingly itis possible to manufacture a display device which is endowed with asuperior display quality.

[0356] (2) A Method Performed With a Plurality of Scans of the Ink JetHead 121, and by Using a Plurality of Nozzles During Those Scans

[0357]FIG. 42 is a process diagram showing this process when forming thepositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a upon the various pictureelement regions A1 . . . with three scanning episodes of the ink jethead 121. FIG. 42(a) shows the situation after the ink jet head 121 hascompleted its first scanning episode; FIG. 42(b) shows the situationafter the ink jet head 121 has completed its second scanning episode;and FIG. 42(c) shows the situation after the ink jet head 121 hascompleted its third and last scanning episode.

[0358] In the first scanning episode, among the various nozzles of theink jet head 121 shown in FIG. 41, the initial liquid drops 110 c 1 ofthe first composite material are discharged from the nozzles n1 athrough n3 a against the picture element regions A1 through A3 whichthese nozzles respectively oppose, and then the ink jet head 121 isshifted a little in the widthwise scanning direction and the secondliquid drops 110 c 2 of the first composite material are discharged fromthe nozzles n1 b through n3 b against the picture element regions A1through A3 which these nozzles respectively oppose. By doing this, asshown in FIG. 42(a), the two liquid drops 110 c 1 and 110 c 2 aredischarged against each of the picture element regions A1 through A3. Itshould be understood that each of these first and second liquid drops110 c 1 and 110 c 2 may be discharged against its one of the pictureelement regions A1 through A3 with an interval being opened up betweenthem, as shown in FIG. 42(a); or, alternatively, they may be dischargedover one another.

[0359] Next, in the second scanning episode, in the same manner asduring the first scanning episode, the third liquid drops 110 c 3 of thefirst composite material are discharged from the nozzles n1 a through n3a against the picture element regions A1 through A3 which these nozzlesrespectively oppose, and then again the ink jet head 121 is shifted alittle in the widthwise scanning direction and the fourth liquid drops110 c 4 of the first composite material are discharged from the nozzlesnlb through n3 b against the picture element regions A1 through A3 whichthese nozzles respectively oppose. By doing this, as shown in FIG.42(b), the further two liquid drops 110 c 3 and 110 c 4 are dischargedagainst each of the picture element regions A1 through A3. It should beunderstood that each of these third and fourth liquid drops 110 c 3 and110 c 4 may be discharged against its one of the picture element regionsA1 through A3 with an interval being opened up mutually between them andalso with an interval being opened up between them and the first andsecond liquid drops 110 c 1 and 110 c 2 so that none of these fourliquid drops are mutually superimposed, as shown in FIG. 42(b); or,alternatively, they may be discharged over one another and over thefirst and second liquid drops 110 c 1 and 110 c 2.

[0360] Next, in the third scanning episode, in the same manner as duringthe first and second scanning episodes, the fifth liquid drops 110 c 5of the first composite material are discharged from the nozzles n1 athrough n3 a against the picture element regions A1 through A3 whichthese nozzles respectively oppose, and then again the ink jet head 121is shifted a little in the widthwise scanning direction and the sixthliquid drops 110 c 6 of the first composite material are discharged fromthe nozzles nlb through n3 b against the picture element regions A1through A3 which these nozzles respectively oppose. By doing this, asshown in FIG. 42(c), the further two liquid drops 110 c 5 and 110 c 6are discharged against each of the picture element regions A1 throughA3. It should be understood that each of these fifth and sixth liquiddrops 110 c 5 and 110 c 6 may be discharged against its one of thepicture element regions A1 through A3 with an interval being opened upmutually between them and also with an interval being opened up betweenthem and the first four liquid drops 10 d 1 through 110 c 4 so that noneof these six liquid drops are mutually superimposed, as shown in FIG.42(c); or, alternatively, they may be discharged over one another andover the first through the fourth liquid drops 110 c 1 through 110 c 4.

[0361] Since in this manner, when forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer with a plurality of scans, the nozzles arechanged over between each scan and the next, and the first compositematerial is discharged against each of the picture element regions A1through A3 from its own two ones of the nozzles, accordingly, bycomparison with the case of discharging the first composite materialagainst each of the picture element regions a plurality of times from asingle nozzle as in the prior art, it is possible to perform mutualcancellation between undesirable deviations in the discharge amountsbetween the nozzles, so that undesirable deviations in the dischargeamounts of the first composite material upon each of the picture elementelectrodes 111 . . . are reduced, and it is possible to form thepositive hole injection/transport layer of a uniform film thickness. Bydoing this, it is possible to ensure that the amount of emitted lightfrom each of the picture elements is maintained as uniform, andaccordingly it is possible to manufacture a display device which isendowed with a superior display quality.

[0362] (3) A Method Performed With a Plurality of Scans of the Ink JetHead 121, and by Using a Different Nozzle in Each of Those Scans

[0363]FIG. 43 is a process diagram showing this process when forming thepositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a upon the various pictureelement regions A1 . . . with two scanning episodes of the ink jet head121. FIG. 43(a) shows the situation after the ink jet head 121 hascompleted its first scanning episode; FIG. 43(b) shows the situationafter the ink jet head 121 has completed its first scanning episode; andFIG. 43(c) shows another possible situation after the ink jet head 121has completed its first and second scanning episodes.

[0364] In the first scanning episode, among the various nozzles of theink jet head 121 shown in FIG. 41, the initial liquid drops 110 c 1 andthe second and third liquid drops 110 c 2, and 110 c 3 of the firstcomposite material are discharged in order from each of the nozzles n1 athrough n3 a against each of the picture element regions A1 through A3which these nozzles respectively oppose. By doing this, as shown in FIG.41(a), the three liquid drops 110 c 1, 110 c 2, and 110 c 3 aredischarged against each of the picture element regions A1 through A3. Itshould be understood that each of these liquid drops 110 c 1 through 110c 3 may be discharged against its one of the picture element regions A1through A3 with an interval being opened up between them, as shown inFIG. 41(a); or, alternatively, they may be discharged over one another,so that they are mutually superimposed.

[0365] Then, in the second scanning episode, the ink jet head 121 isshifted a little in the widthwise scanning direction and the fourth,fifth, and sixth liquid drops 110 c 4, 110 c 5, and 110 c 6 of the firstcomposite material are discharged in order from the nozzles nlb throughn3 b against the picture element regions A1 through A3 which thesenozzles respectively oppose. By doing this, as shown in FIG. 43(b), thefurther three liquid drops 110 c 4 through 110 c 6 are dischargedagainst each of the picture element regions A1 through A3. It should beunderstood that each of these fourth through sixth liquid drops 110 c 4,110 c 5, and 110 c 6 may be discharged against its one of the pictureelement regions A1 through A3 with an interval being opened up mutuallybetween them and also with an interval being opened up between them andthe first three liquid drops 10dcl through 110 c 3 so that none of thesesix liquid drops are mutually superimposed, as shown in FIG. 43(b); or,alternatively, they may be discharged over one another and over thefirst through the third liquid drops 110 c 1 through 110 c 3.

[0366] Furthermore, FIG. 43(c) shows a different situation after thefirst and second scanning episodes. In FIG. 43(c) the number of scanningepisodes is supposed to have been two, and, with regard to the pointthat the first through the third liquid drops are discharged in thefirst scanning episode, and that, in the second scanning episode, thefourth through the sixth liquid drops are discharged from different onesof the nozzles after the ink jet head 121 has been shifted, thesituation is the same as in the case of FIG. 43(a) and FIG. 43(b).

[0367] However the point in which the situation of FIG. 43(c) differsfrom the situation of FIGS. 43(a) and 43(b) is that the dischargeposition of each of the liquid drops is different. In detail, in FIG.43(c), the liquid drops 110 c 1 through 110 c 3 which are discharged inthe first scanning episode are all located in the lower half portion inthe figure of each of the picture element regions A1 through A3, whilethe liquid drops 110 c 4 through 110 c 6 which are discharged in thesecond scanning episode are all located in the upper half portion in thefigure of each of the picture element regions A1 through A3; in otherwords, the liquid drops 110 c 1 through 110 c 3 which are discharged inthe first scanning episode are not interleaved with the liquid drops 110c 4 through 110 c 6 which are discharged in the second scanning episode,as was the case with the process shown in FIGS. 43(a) and 43(b).

[0368] It should be understood that although, in FIGS. 42 and 43, thetotal number of liquid drops which are discharged against a singlepicture element region A was supposed to be six, it may be in the range,for example, from 6 to 20; but, since this range will vary according tothe area of the picture elements, in some circumstances the mostappropriate number of drops may be greater or less than this statedrange. The total amount of the first composite material which isdischarged against each of the picture element regions (i.e., upon eachof the electrode surfaces 111 a) is determined according to the sizes ofthe lower opening portions 112 c and the upper opening portions 112 d,according to the thickness of the positive hole injection/transportlayer which it is desired to form, according to the concentration of thematerial for forming the positive hole injection/transport layer withinthe first composite material, and the like.

[0369] Since in this manner, when forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer with a plurality of scanning episodes, thenozzles are changed over between each scan and the next, and the firstcomposite material is discharged against each of the picture elementregions A1 through A3 from its own two ones of the nozzles, accordingly,by comparison with the case of discharging the first composite materialagainst each of the picture element regions A a plurality of times froma single nozzle as in the prior art, it is possible to perform mutualcancellation between undesirable deviations in the discharge amountsbetween the nozzles, so that undesirable deviations in the dischargeamounts of the first composite material upon each of the picture elementelectrodes 111 . . . are reduced, and it is possible to form thepositive hole injection/transport layer of a uniform film thickness. Bydoing this, it is possible to ensure that the amount of emitted lightfrom each of the picture elements is maintained as uniform, andaccordingly it is possible to manufacture a display device which isendowed with a superior display quality.

[0370] It should be understood that it would be acceptable, whenperforming scanning of the ink jet head 121 a plurality of times, toperform each pass of the ink jet head 121, i.e. each scan, in the samedirection; or, alternatively, each pass of the ink jet head 121 might beperformed in an opposite direction to the previous one.

[0371] As shown in FIG. 44, the liquid drops 110 c of the firstcomposite material which have been discharged from the ink jet head 121finally spread out over the electrode surfaces 111 a and the firstsuperimposed layer portions 112 e which have been subjected tohydrophilic processing, and fill up the lower opening portions 112 c andthe upper opening portions 112 d. On the 1 other hand, even if one ofthe liquid drops 110 c of the first composite material has wandered fromits predetermined discharge position and has been discharged against anupper surface 112 f, the upper surface 112 f is not wetted by this firstcomposite material drop 110 c, and the first composite material drop 110c is shed off from the upper surface 112 f and finally slides to one ofthe lower opening portions 112 c or one of the upper opening portions112 d.

[0372] As the first composite material which may be used here, forexample, it is possible to utilize a composite material consisting of amixture of polythiophene-derivetive, for instancepolyethylenedioxithiophene (PEDOT) or the like, and polystyrenesulfonicacid (PSS) or the like dissolved in a polar solvent. As such a polarsolvent, for example, it is possible to suggest isopropyl alcohol (IPA),normalbutanol, y-butyrolactone, N-methylpyrolidone (NMP),1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), and its derivative, carbitol,buthylcarbitolacetate, glycolethers, or the like.

[0373] In more concrete terms, as an exemplary composition for the firstcomposite material, it is possible to utilize a material consisting of amixture of PEDOT and PSS (with the PEDOT/PSS ratio being 1:20) to theamount of 22.4% by weight, PSS to the amount of 1.44% by weight, IPA tothe amount of 10% by weight, NMP to the amount of 27.0% by weight, andDMI to the amount of 50% by weight. It should be understood that it isdesirable for the viscosity of the first composite material to be in therange from 2 to 20 cPs, and in particular it is desirable for it to bein the range from 4 to 12 cPs.

[0374] By using the above described first composite material, it ispossible to perform stable discharge through the discharge nozzles H2,without any danger of occurrence of blockages.

[0375] Moreover, with regard to the material for forming the positivehole injection/transport layer, it will be acceptable to use the samematerial for each of the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light emissionlayers 110 b 1 through 110 b 3; or, alternatively, it could be differentfor each of these light emission layers.

[0376] Next, a drying process such as the one shown in FIG. 45 isperformed.

[0377] By performing this drying process, the first composite materialis dried after having been discharged, the polar solvent which wascontained in the first composite material is vaporized, and thereby thepositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a is formed.

[0378] When performing this drying process, the vaporization of thepolar solvent which is contained in the first composite material drops110 c principally occurs at positions which are close to the inorganicmaterial bank layers 112 a and the organic material bank layers 112 b,and the material which constitutes the positive hole injection/transportlayer is thickened and deposited along with the vaporization of thepolar solvent.

[0379] Due to this, as shown in FIG. 45, the peripheral edge portions110 a 2 which are made from the material which constitutes the positivehole injection/transport layer are formed over the first superimposedlayer portions 112 e. These peripheral edge portions 110 a 2 closelyadhere to the wall surfaces of the upper opening portions 112 d (theorganic material bank layers 112 b), and their thickness becomes thinnertowards the electrode surfaces 111 a, while they become thicker awayfrom the electrode surfaces 111 a, in other words towards the organicmaterial bank layers 112 b.

[0380] Furthermore, at the same time as this is happening, thevaporization of the polar solvent takes place over the electrodesurfaces 111 a due to the drying process, and due to this the flatportions 110 a 1 are formed over the electrode surfaces 111 a from thematerial which is to constitute the positive hole injection/transportlayer. Since the speed of vaporization of the polar solvent over theelectrode surfaces 111 a is almost uniform, the material which is toconstitute the positive hole injection/transport layer is thickenedalmost uniformly over the electrode surfaces 111 a, and due to this theflat portions 110 a are formed of substantially uniform thickness.

[0381] By doing this, the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 awhich consists of the peripheral edge portions 110 a 2 and the flatportions 110 a 1 is formed.

[0382] It should be understood that a variant preferred embodiment wouldalso be acceptable, as an alternative, in which the peripheral edgeportions 110 a 2 were not formed, but the positive holeinjection/transport layer was only formed over the electrode surfaces111 a.

[0383] The above described drying procedure is performed, for example,in a nitrogen atmosphere, at room temperature, and at a pressure of, forexample, approximately 133.3 to 13.3 Pa (1 to 0.1 torr). If the pressurewere to be reduced abruptly, the first composite material drops 110 cwould be caused to collide with one another, which would be undesirable;and accordingly it is desirable to reduce the pressure slowly andsteadily. Furthermore, it the temperature is raised to a hightemperature, the speed of vaporization of the polar solvent would beelevated to a level which would be undesirable, and it would becomeimpossible to form an even positive hole injection/transport layer.Accordingly a working temperature in the range of from 30 degree Celsiusto 80 degree Celsius is considered to be desirable.

[0384] After the drying procedure, it is desirable to remove any polarsolvent or water which may remain in the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a by performing heat processing by heatingup the work-piece in vacuum to a temperature of approximately 200 degreeCelsius and by keeping it there for about 10 minutes.

[0385] In the above described process of forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer, the liquid drops 110 c of the first compositematerial which have been discharged are on the one hand filled into thelower opening portions 112 c and the upper opening portions 112 d, whileany quantities of the first composite material which may have landedupon the organic material bank layers 112 b which have been subjected towater repellentation processing are repelled thereby and are transferredto within the lower opening portions 112 c and the upper openingportions 112 d. Due to this, the liquid drops 110 c of the firstcomposite material which have been discharged can be reliably andinescapably caused to be filled into the lower opening portions 112 cand the upper opening portions 112 d, so that it is possible to form thepositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a upon the electrodesurfaces 111 a.

[0386] Furthermore, according to the above described formation processfor the positive hole injection/transport layer, since the liquid drops110 c 1 of the first composite material which are initially dischargedinto each of the picture element regions A are contacted against thewall surfaces 112 h of the organic material bank layers 112 b, becausethese liquid drops are transferred from these wall surfaces 112 h to thefirst superimposed layer portions 112 e and to the electrode surfaces111 a, accordingly, as a priority, the liquid drops 110 c of the firstcomposite material wet and spread out over the entire range of thepicture element electrodes 111, and it is possible to apply the firstcomposite material without any blurring, so that thereby it is possibleto form the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a with asubstantially uniform film thickness.

[0387] (4) The Process of Formation of the Light Emission Layer

[0388] Next, the process of forming the light emission layer includes asurface modification process, a light emission layer formation materialdischarge process, and a drying process.

[0389] First, a surface modification process is performed for modifyingthe surface of the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a. Thisprocess will be described in detail hereinafter. Next, a secondcomposite material is discharged upon the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a by a liquid drop discharge method whichmay be the same as that employed for the process of formation of thepositive hole injection/transport layer 110 a which was described above.After this, a process of drying processing (and heat processing) of thissecond composite material which has been discharged is performed, andthereby the light emission layer 110 b is formed over the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a.

[0390] Next, as a process for forming the light emission layer, after asecond composite material which contains a light emission layerformation material has been discharged upon the positive holeinjection/transport layer 110 a by a liquid drop discharge method, adrying procedure is performed, and thereby the light emission layer 110b is formed over the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a.

[0391] The liquid drop discharge method is shown in outline in FIG. 46.As shown in FIG. 46, the ink jet head 431 and the base plate 32 areshifted relatively to one another, and the second composite materialwhich includes light emission layer formation material of various colors(for example blue (B) colored light emission layer formation material)is discharged from the discharge nozzles which are formed in the ink jethead 431.

[0392] During this discharge, the discharge nozzles oppose the positivehole injection/transport layers 110 a which are positioned within thelower opening portions 112 c and the upper opening portions 112 d, andthe second composite material is discharged while shifting the ink jethead 431 and the base plate 32 relatively to one another. The liquidamounts for each of the drops which are discharged from the dischargenozzles are controlled for each drop individually. The liquid (thesecond composite material drops 110 e) of which the liquid amount hasbeen controlled in this manner is discharged from the discharge nozzles,and these second composite material drops 110 e are discharged againstand over the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a.

[0393] The process of formation of the light emission layer proceeds inthe same manner as did the process of forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer, so that the second composite material isdischarged from a plurality of the nozzles against a single one of thepicture element regions.

[0394] In other words, in the same manner as in the cases shown in FIG.41, FIG. 42, and FIG. 43, the ink jet head 121 is scanner and the lightemission layer 110 b is formed over each of the positive holeinjection/transport layers 110 a. In this process, For this processthere are three possibilities: (4) a method which is performed with asingle scanning episode of the ink jet head 121; (5) a method which isperformed with a plurality of scanning episodes of the ink jet head 121,and moreover by using a plurality of nozzles during those scanningepisodes; and (6) a method which is performed with a plurality ofscanning episodes of the ink jet head 121, and moreover by using aseparate nozzle in each of those scanning episodes. In the following, asummary of each of these three methods (4) through (6) will beexplained.

[0395] (4) A Method Performed With a Single Scan of the Ink Jet Head 121

[0396] With this method, a light emission layer is formed upon each ofthe picture element regions (over the positive hole injection/transportlayer 110 a) in the same manner as in the case of FIG. 41. In detail, inthe same manner as in the case of FIG. 41(a), the nozzles n1 a throughn3 a of the ink jet head 121 are arranged to oppose the positive holeinjection/transport layers 110 a, and initial liquid drops of the secondcomposite material are discharged from these nozzles n1 a through n3 aagainst the positive hole injection/transport layers 110 a. Next, in thesame manner as in the case of FIG. 41(b), along with scanning the inkjet head 121 a little along the main scanning direction, each of thenozzles n1 b through n3 b is positioned over the corresponding one ofthese positive hole injection/transport layers 110 a by shifting the inkjet head 121 along the direction opposite to the widthwise scanningdirection, and second liquid drops of the second composite material aredischarged from the nozzles nlb through n3 b against the positive holeinjection/transport layers 110 a. Then, in the same manner as in thecase of FIG. 41(c), while scanning the ink jet head 121 a little alongthe main scanning direction, each of the nozzles n1 a through n3 a isagain positioned over its positive hole injection/transport layer 110 aby shifting the ink jet head 121 along the widthwise scanning direction,and third liquid drops of the second composite material are dischargedfrom the nozzles n1 a through n3 a against the positive holeinjection/transport layers 110 a.

[0397] By doing this, i.e. by shifting the ink jet head 121 a little toand fro along the widthwise scanning direction while scanning the inkjet head 121 along the main scanning direction, liquid drops of thesecond composite material are discharged against a single pictureelement region A (a single positive hole injection/transport layer 110a) in order from two of the nozzles. The total number of liquid dropswhich are discharged against a single picture element region A can be inthe range, for example, from 6 to 20, but this range will vary accordingto the area of the picture elements, and in some circumstances the mostappropriate number of drops may be greater or less than this statedrange. The total amount of the second composite material which isdischarged against each of the picture element regions (each of thepositive hole injection/transport layers 110 a) is determined accordingto the sizes of the lower opening portions 112 c and the upper openingportions 112 d, according to the thickness of the light emission layerswhich it is desired to form, according to the concentration of thematerial for forming the light emission layers within the secondcomposite material, and the like.

[0398] In this manner, for the case of forming the light emission layerin a single scanning episode, the nozzles are changed over every timethe second composite material is discharged, and, since the secondcomposite material is discharged against each of the picture elementregions from two of the nozzles, accordingly, by comparison with thecase of discharging the second composite material against each of thepicture element regions a plurality of times from a single nozzle as inthe prior art, it is possible to perform mutual cancellation betweenundesirable deviations in the discharge amounts between the nozzles, sothat undesirable deviations in the discharge amounts of the secondcomposite material upon each of the picture element regions are reduced,and it is possible to form the light emission layer of a uniform filmthickness. By doing this, it is possible to ensure that the amount ofemitted light from each of the picture elements should be maintained tobe uniform, and accordingly it is possible to manufacture a displaydevice which is endowed with a superior display quality.

[0399] (5) A Method Performed With a Plurality of Scans of the Ink JetHead 121, and a Method Using a Plurality of Nozzles During Those Scans

[0400] In this method, first in the same manner as in the case of FIG.42(a), in a first scanning episode, among the various nozzles of the inkjet head 121, the initial liquid drops of the second composite materialare discharged from the nozzles n1 a through n3 a against the pictureelement regions which these nozzles respectively oppose, and then theink jet head 121 is shifted a little in the widthwise scanning directionand the second liquid drops of the second composite material aredischarged from the nozzles n1 b through n3 b against the pictureelement regions which these nozzles respectively oppose.

[0401] By doing this, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 42(a), twoliquid drops are discharged against each of the picture element regions.It should be understood that each of these first and second liquid dropsmay be discharged against its one of the picture element regions with aninterval being mutually opened up between them, in the same manner asshown in FIG. 42(a); or, alternatively, they may be discharged over oneanother in a mutually superimposed manner.

[0402] Next, in the second scanning episode, in the same manner asduring the first scanning episode, among the various nozzles of the inkjet head 121, the third liquid drops of the second composite materialare discharged from the nozzles n1 a through n3 a against the pictureelement regions which these nozzles respectively oppose, and then againthe ink jet head 121 is shifted a little in the widthwise scanningdirection and the fourth liquid drops of the second composite materialare discharged from the nozzles n1 b through n3 b against the pictureelement regions which these nozzles respectively oppose. By doing this,in the same manner as shown in FIG. 42(b), the further two liquid dropsare discharged against each of the picture element regions. It should beunderstood that each of these third and fourth liquid drops may bedischarged against its one of the picture element regions with aninterval being opened up mutually between them and also with an intervalbeing opened up between them and the first and second liquid drops andso that none of these four liquid drops are mutually superimposed, inthe same manner as shown in FIG. 42(b); or, alternatively, they may bedischarged over one another and over the first and second liquid drops,so that all four are mutually superimposed.

[0403] Next, in the third scanning episode, in the same manner as duringthe first and second scanning episodes, among the various nozzles of theink jet head 121, the fifth liquid drops of the second compositematerial are discharged from the nozzles n1 a through n3 a against thepicture element regions which these nozzles respectively oppose, andthen again the ink jet head 121 is shifted a little in the widthwisescanning direction and the sixth liquid drops of the second compositematerial are discharged from the nozzles n1 b through n3 b against thepicture element regions which these nozzles respectively oppose. Bydoing this, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 42(c), a further twoliquid drops are discharged against each of the picture element regions.It should be understood that each of these fifth and sixth liquid dropsmay be discharged against its one of the picture element regions with aninterval being opened up mutually between them and also with an intervalbeing opened up between them and the first four liquid drops so thatnone of these six liquid drops are mutually superimposed, in the samemanner as shown in FIG. 42(c); or, alternatively, they may be dischargedover one another and over the first through the fourth liquid drops, sothat all six of the liquid drops are mutually superimposed.

[0404] Since in this manner, when forming the light emission layer witha plurality of scans, the nozzles are changed over between each scan andthe next, and the second composite material is discharged against eachof the picture element regions from its own two ones of the nozzles,accordingly, by comparison with the case of discharging the secondcomposite material against each of the picture element regions aplurality of times from a single nozzle as in the prior art, it ispossible to perform mutual cancellation between undesirable deviationsin the discharge amounts between the nozzles, so that undesirabledeviations in the discharge amounts of the second composite materialupon each of the picture element regions are reduced, and it is possibleto form the light emission layer of a uniform film thickness. By doingthis, it is possible to ensure that the amount of emitted light fromeach of the picture elements is maintained as uniform, and accordinglyit is possible to manufacture a display device which is endowed with asuperior display quality.

[0405] (6) A Method Performed With a Plurality of Scans of the Ink JetHead 121, and by Using a Different Nozzle in Each of Those Scans

[0406] In this method, first, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 43(a),in a first scanning episode, the initial liquid drops and the second andthird liquid drops of the second composite material are discharged inorder from each of the nozzles n1 a through n3 a among the variousnozzles of the ink jet head 121 against each of the picture elementregions which these nozzles respectively oppose. By doing this, in thesame manner as shown in FIG. 43(a), three liquid drops are dischargedagainst each of the picture element regions. It should be understoodthat each of these liquid drops may be discharged against its one of thepicture element regions with an interval being mutually opened upbetween them, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 43(a); or,alternatively, they may be discharged over one another so as to bemutually superimposed.

[0407] Then, in the second scanning episode, the ink jet head 121 isshifted a little in the widthwise scanning direction and the fourth,fifth, and sixth liquid drops of the second composite material aredischarged in order from the nozzles n1 b through n3 b against thepicture element regions which these nozzles respectively oppose. Bydoing this, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 43(b), the further threeliquid drops are discharged against each of the picture element regions.It should be understood that each of these fourth through sixth liquiddrops may be discharged against its one of the picture element regionswith an interval being opened up mutually between them and also with aninterval being opened up between them and the first three liquid dropsso that none of these six liquid drops are mutually superimposed, in thesame manner as shown in FIG. 43(b); or, alternatively, they may bedischarged over one another and over the first through the third liquiddrops, so that all six of these liquid drops are mutually superimposed.

[0408] Furthermore, as a variant of this method, in the same manner asshown in FIG. 43(c), the liquid drops which are discharged in the firstscanning episode may all be located in one half portion of each of thepicture element regions, while the liquid drops which are discharged inthe second scanning episode are all located in the other half portion ofeach of the picture element regions; in other words, the liquid dropswhich are discharged in the first scanning episode are not interleavedwith the liquid drops which are discharged in the second scanningepisode.

[0409] It should be understood that although the total number of liquiddrops which are discharged against a single picture element region wassupposed to be six, it may be in the range, for example, from 6 to 20;but, since this range will vary according to the area of the pictureelements, in some circumstances the most appropriate number of drops maybe greater or less than this stated range. The total amount of thesecond composite material which is discharged against each of thepicture element regions (i.e., upon each of the positive holeinjection/transport layers 110 a) is determined according to the sizesof the lower opening portions 112 c and the upper opening portions 112d, according to the thickness of the light emission layer which it isdesired to form, according to the concentration of the material forforming the light emission layer within the second composite material,and the like.

[0410] Since in this manner, when forming the positive holeinjection/transport layer with a plurality of scanning episodes, thenozzles are changed over between each scan and the next, and the secondcomposite material is discharged against each of the picture elementregions from its own two ones of the nozzles, accordingly, by comparisonwith the case of discharging the second composite material against eachof the picture element regions a plurality of times from a single nozzleas in the prior art, it is possible to perform mutual cancellationbetween undesirable deviations in the discharge amounts between thenozzles, so that undesirable deviations in the discharge amounts of thesecond composite material upon each of the picture element regions arereduced, and it is possible to form the light emission layer of auniform film thickness. By doing this, it is possible to ensure that theamount of emitted light from each of the picture elements is maintainedas uniform, and accordingly it is possible to manufacture a displaydevice which is endowed with a superior display quality.

[0411] It should be understood that, in the same way as was the case inthe process of forming the positive hole injection/transport layer, itwould also be acceptable, when performing scanning of the ink jet head121 a plurality of times, to perform each pass of the ink jet head 121,i.e. each scan, in the same direction; or, alternatively, each pass ofthe ink jet head 121 might be performed in an opposite direction to theprevious one.

[0412] Furthermore, as the material for the light emission layer, forexample, it is possible to utilize polyfluolenederivetive,polyphenylenederivative, polyvinylcarbazole, polythiophenederivative, ordoped materials by doping penylene group pigments, coumaline grouppigments, rhodamine group pigments, for instance, rublene, perylene,9,10-diphenylanthracene, terraphenylbutadiene, neilred, coumalin 6,quinacridone or the like with the above polymers may be used.

[0413] As a non polar solvent, which is a desirable type from the pointof view of not dissolving the previously formed positive holeinjection/transport layers 110 a, it is possible to use, for example,cychrohexilbenzene, dihydrobenzofuran, trimethylbenzene,tetramethylbenzene, or the like.

[0414] By using this type of non polar solvent in the second compositematerial for making the light emission layers 110 b, it is possible toapply the second composite material without re-dissolving the positivehole injection/transport layers 110 a which have already been formed.

[0415] As shown in FIG. 46, the liquid drops 110 e of the secondcomposite material which have been discharged from the ink jet head 121spread out over the positive hole injection/transport layer 110 a, andfill up the lower opening portions 112 c and the upper opening portions112 d. On the other hand, even if one of the liquid drops 110 e of thesecond composite material has wandered from its predetermined dischargeposition and has been discharged against an upper surface 112 f whichhas been subjected to water repellentation processing, the upper surface112 f is not wetted by this second composite material drop 110 e, andthe second composite material drop 110 e is shed off from the uppersurface 112 f and is transferred to one of the lower opening portions112 c or one of the upper opening portions 112 d.

[0416] Next, after the second composite material has been discharged inthe predetermined positions therefor, a drying procedure is performedfor the drops 110 e of the second composite material after theirdischarge, so as to form the light emission layer 110 b 3. That is tosay, the non polar solvent which was contained in the second compositematerial is vaporized by this drying process, and a blue (B) coloredlight emission layer 110 b 3 such as shown in FIG. 47 is formed. Itshould be understood that, although in FIG. 47 only a single lightemission layer 110 b 3 which emits blue colored light is shown, in fact,as is clear from FIG. 30 and other figures, basically the light emittingelements are formed so as to be arranged in a matrix pattern, and,viewing the component as a whole, a large number of light emissionlayers (corresponding to blue color) not shown in the figure are formed.

[0417] Next, as shown in FIG. 48, a red (R) colored light emission layer110 b 1 is formed by using the same process as in the case of formationof the blue (B) colored light emission layer 110 b 3 as described above;and, finally, a green (G) colored light emission layer 110 b 2 is formedby using the same technique.

[0418] It should be understood that the order in which these three lightemission layers 110 b are formed is not to be considered as beinglimited by the example above; any suitable order would be acceptable.For example, it would also be possible to determine the order offormation of the light emission layers, according to the specificqualities of the materials from which they were to be formed.

[0419] As drying conditions for the second composite material forforming the light emission layer, for example, in the case of the blue(B) colored light emission layer 110 b 3, they may be: in a nitrogenatmosphere, at room temperature, and at a pressure of, for example,approximately 133.3 to 13.3 Pa (1 to 0.1 torr). If the pressure were toolow, the second composite material drops 110 c would be caused tocollide with one another, which would be undesirable. Furthermore, itthe temperature were too high, the speed of vaporization of the nonpolar solvent would be elevated to a level which would be undesirable,and it might be the case that a large quantity of the light emissionlayer formation material might adhere to the wall surfaces of the upperopening portions 112 d. Accordingly a working temperature in the rangeof from 30 degree Celsius to 80 degree Celsius is considered to bedesirable.

[0420] Furthermore, in the cases of the green (G) colored light emissionlayer 110 b 2 and of the red (R) colored light emission layer 110 b 1,it is desirable to perform the drying gently, since the number of thecomponents in the material from which the light emission layer is to beformed is relatively large. For example, as acceptable conditions, itmay be acceptable to perform this drying by blowing nitrogen against thework-piece at a temperature of 40 degree Celsius for about 5 to 10minutes.

[0421] As another possible means of performing this drying procedure, aninfrared irradiation method, or a method of blowing nitrogen gas at hightemperature against the work-piece, or the like may be utilized.

[0422] By the above procedures, the positive hole injection/transportlayers 110 a and the light emission layers 110 b are formed above thepicture element electrodes 111.

[0423] (5) The Process of Formation of the Opposing Electrode (theNegative Electrode)

[0424] Next, in an opposing electrode formation process, the negativeelectrode 42 (the opposing electrode) is formed over the entire surfacesof the light emission layers 110 b and the organic material bank layers112 b, as shown in FIG. 49. It should be understood that it would alsobe acceptable, as an alternative, to form this negative electrode 42from a plurality of layers of different materials superimposed upon oneanother. For example, it is desirable to form the side of the negativeelectrode 42 towards the light emission layer from a material whose workfunction is small, and for example it is possible to use Ca or Ba or thelike for this portion, or, for this material, there are also cases inwhich it is best to make this lower layer as a thin layer of LiF or thelike. Furthermore, for the upper side (the sealing side) of the negativeelectrode 42, it is possible to utilize a material whose work functionis higher than that of the material used for the lower side thereof, forexample A1 or the like.

[0425] Yet further, it is desirable to form the negative electrode 42by, for example, an evaporation adhesion method, a spattering method, aCVD method or the like, and in particular, it is desirable to form it byan evaporation adhesion method, from the point of view of being able toprevent damage to the light emission layers 110b due to heat.

[0426] Furthermore, it would also be acceptable to form only theportions over the light emission layers 110 b from lithium fluoride; orit would also be possible to form the lithium fluoride portion incorrespondence to a predetermined color or colors. For example, it wouldbe acceptable to form the lithium fluoride portion over only the blue(B) colored light emission layers 110 b 3. In this case, an uppernegative electrode layer 12 b which was made from calcium or the likewould be contacted against the red (R) colored light emission layers 110b 1 and against the green (G) colored light emission layers 110 b 2.

[0427] Furthermore, it is desirable for an Al layer, an Ag layer or thelike to be formed over the upper portion of the negative electrode 42 byan evaporation deposition method, a spattering method, a CVD method orthe like. Yet further, it is desirable for the thickness of this layerto be, for example, in the range from 100 to 1000 nm, and in particularit may be in the range from approximately 200 to 500 nm.

[0428] Moreover, it would be acceptable to provide a protective layer ofSiO2, SiN or the like over the negative electrode 842, for preventationof oxidization thereof.

[0429] (6) The Process of Sealing

[0430] The final sealing process is a process of sealing between thebase plate 32 upon which the light emitting element is formed and thesealing substrate plate 3 b using a sealing resin 3 a. For example, asealing resin 3 a which consists of a heat curing resin or anultraviolet light curing resin is applied over the entire surface of thebase plate 32, and a substrate plate 3 b for sealing is laid over thissealing resin 3 a, i.e. is superimposed thereupon. By this process, asealing portion 33 is formed over the base plate 32.

[0431] It is desirable for this sealing process to be performed in aninert gas atmosphere of nitrogen, argon, helium or the like. If thissealing process is performed in the ambient atmosphere, then, if defectportions such as pinholes or the like have occurred in the negativeelectrode 42, there is a danger that water or oxygen or the like mayenter into the negative electrode 42 through these defect portions, andmay oxidize the negative electrode 42, which is not desirable.

[0432] Furthermore, along with connecting the negative electrode 42 to alead wire 35 a of the substrate plate 5 as shown by way of example inFIG. 30, the lead wires of the circuit element portion 44 are connectedto the drive IC 36, and thereby the display device 31 of this preferredembodiment of the present invention is obtained.

[0433] In this preferred embodiment as well, by performing the ink jetmethod described above in the same manner as in the case of the otherpreferred embodiments explained previously, the same beneficial resultsare obtained in the same manner. Furthermore since, when selectivelyapplying the functional liquid masses, the liquid mass for a singlefunctional layer is discharged by using a plurality of nozzles,accordingly it is possible to eradicate deviations in the dischargeamounts between the nozzles, so that, by reducing variations in theamounts of source material between each of the electrodes, it ispossible to ensure that each of the functional layers has a uniform filmthickness. By doing this, it is possible to ensure that the amount ofemitted light from each of the picture elements is maintained asuniform, and accordingly it is possible to manufacture a display devicewhich is endowed with a superior display quality.

OTHER PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0434] Although the present invention has been described above in termsof certain preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is notto be considered as being limited by these preferred embodiments; andvariations such as will now be described above are acceptable, providedthat the objectives of the present invention are attained. In otherwords, it is possible to implement multitudinous variations in theconcrete structure and form of the present invention, without departingfrom the scope of the present invention, which is to be defined solelyby the scope of the appended claims.

[0435] In other words although, by way of example, the main scanning ofthe motherboard 12 by the ink jet head 421 was performed by shifting theink jet head 421 along the main scanning direction X, and the widthwisescanning of the motherboard 12 by the ink jet head 421 was performed byshifting the motherboard 12 with the widthwise scanning drive device425, it would be possible to implement an opposite arrangement, in whichthe main scanning was executed by shifting the motherboard 12, and thewidthwise scanning was executed by shifting the ink jet head 421.Furthermore, it would also be possible to implement various other sortsof structure in which the ink jet head 421 and the surface of themotherboard 12 were mutually shifted respectively to one another, byshifting only the motherboard 12 without shifting the ink jet head 421,or by shifting only the ink jet head 421 without shifting themotherboard 12, or by shifting both of them in relatively oppositedirections, or the like.

[0436] Furthermore, although in the above described preferredembodiments an ink jet head 421 was utilized which was made so as todischarge the ink by taking advantage of the flexible deformation of thepiezoelectric elements, it would also be possible to utilize an ink jethead of any other different structure; for example, one which utilized amethod of discharging the ink in pulses which were generated by heatingup the ink.

[0437] Yet further although, in the preferred embodiments shown in FIGS.1 through 13, for the irk jet head 421, one was explained in which thenozzles 466 were arranged at substantially equal intervals and in tworows along substantially straight lines, the present invention is not tobe considered as being limited to the case of two rows; it would bepossible for various different numbers of rows to be utilized. Moreover,the intervals between the nozzles 466 along their rows need not all beequal to one another. Yet further, it is not even necessary for thenozzles 466 to be arranged along straight lines.

[0438] And the objects for the manufacture of which the liquid dropdischarge devices 16, 401 may be used are not to be considered as beinglimited to the liquid crystal device 101 and the electro-luminescentdevice 201; these liquid drop discharge devices 16, 401 may also beapplied to the production of a wide range of electro optical deviceswhich comprise substrate plates and predetermined layers formed inpredetermined places thereupon, such as an electron emission device suchas a FED (Field Emission Display) or the like, a PDP (Plasma DisplayPanel), an electrical migration device—in other words a device in whichink, which is a functional liquid mass which includes charged grains, isdischarged into concave portions between division walls which separatevarious picture elements, and which performs display by applying voltagebetween electrodes which are disposed above and below each pictureelement so as to sandwich it, whereby the charged grains are attractedtowards one of the electrodes—a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display such as athin type CRT, or the like.

[0439] The device and the method of the present invention can beutilized in various processes for manufacturing various types of deviceswhich have substrate plates (backings), including electro opticaldevices, in which it is possible to employ a process of dischargingliquid drops against such a backing. For example, they can be applied tomanufacture of any of the following structures: a structure consistingof electrical connecting wires upon a printed circuit substrate plate,in which these electrical connecting wires are formed by discharging aliquid metal or an electro-conductive material, or a paint containing ametallic substance or the like, against this printed circuit substrateplate by using an ink jet method; a structure for a fuel cell in whichan electrode or an ion conduction layer or the like is formed bydischarge using an ink jet method; a structure in which an opticalmember such as a minute micro lens is formed upon a backing by dischargeusing an ink jet method; a structure in which a resist, which is to beapplied on a substrate plate, is applied only upon appropriate portionsthereof by discharge using an ink jet method; a structure in whichconvex portions for scattering light, or a minute white pattern or thelike, are formed upon a transparent substrate plate made from a plasticor the like by discharge using an ink drop method, so as to form a lightscattering plate; or a structure in which a biochip is formed bydischarging RNA (ribonucleic acid) using an ink drop method upon spikespots which are arranged in a matrix array upon a DNA (deoxyribonucleicacid) chip such as a reagent inspection device or the like, or in whicha sample or an antibody, or DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or the like, isdischarged using an ink jet method upon a backing in positions in dotform which are compartmented apart, so as to manufacture a fluorescentmarker probe by performing hybridization or the like upon a DNA chip; orthe like.

[0440] Furthermore, as well as to a complete liquid crystal device 101,the present invention can also be applied to any portion which isincluded in an electro optical system of a liquid crystal device, suchas a structure such as an active matrix liquid crystal panel whichcomprises TFT transistors or the like or active elements such as TFDs inthe picture elements, or the like, in which division walls 6 are formedwhich define and surround the picture element electrodes, and in whichink is discharged by an ink jet method in the concave portions which aredefined by these division walls 6, so as to form a color filter 1; or astructure in which a color filter 1 is formed as an electro-conductivecolor filter upon picture element electrodes by discharging a mixture ofa colored material and an electro-conductive material, which serves asan ink, against the picture element electrodes using an ink jet method;or a structure which is formed by discharging, using an ink jet method,particles of a spacer for maintaining a gap with respect to a substrateplate; or the like.

[0441] Yet further, the present invention is not limited in itsapplication to a color filter 1 or to an electro-luminescent device; itcan also be applied to any other type of electro optical device.Moreover, in the case of the electroluminescent device as well, thepresent invention can also be applied to any of various structures, suchas one in which the electro-luminescent layers which correspond to thethree colors R. G, and B are formed in a stripe pattern, or, asdescribed above, it can be applied to an display device of the activematrix type which comprises transistors which control the flow ofelectric current in the light emission layers for each of the pictureelements individually, or to one of the passive matrix type, or thelike.

[0442] And, as for the electronic device to which the electro opticaldevice according to any of the above described preferred embodiments ofthe present invention is assembled, its application is not to beconsidered as being limited to a personal computer 490 such as shown,for example, in FIG. 27; on the contrary, it is possible to adapt thepresent invention to various types of electronic device, such as aportable telephone instrument like the portable telephone 491 shown inFIG. 28 or a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) unit or the like, or to anelectronic notebook, a POS (Point Of Sale) terminal, an IC card, a minidisc player, a liquid crystal projector, an engineering workstation(Engineering Work Station: EWS), a word processor, a television, a videotape recorder of the viewfinder type or the direct vision monitor type,a tabletop electronic calculator, a car navigation device, a deviceincorporating a touch panel, a watch, a game device, or the like.

[0443] Further to the embodiments in which the division walls 6 of thecolor filter 1 are formed from the resin materials which are nontransparent, resin materials which are transparent are available for thedivision walls. In this case, shading members made of metal layer orresin material which locate between the filter elements 3, for instanceover the division walls 6 and beneath the division walls 6, and performas a black musk are available. It should be understood that in thisdescription of the present invention the term “division wall” is used toinclude the meaning of “bank”, and is an expression of which denotesportions which are convex as seen from the substrate plate, are almostperpendicular or which have angles somewhat greater than or what lessthan roughly 90 degree.

[0444] The colors of the filter element 3 are not limited in R, G, and Bof the embodiments, colors of C(cyan), M(magenta), and Y(yellow) arealso utilized. In a case of utilizing C, M and Y, filter elementmaterials 13 having colors of C, M and Y are utilized in place of thefilter element materials 13 having colors of R, G and B.

[0445] It should be understood that the structure and the procedures ofthe various preferred embodiments of the present invention which havebeen disclosed in concrete terms are not intended to be limiting; otherversions thereof which fall within the scope of the appended claims, andwhich attain the objectives of the present invention, will beacceptable, and are not to be considered as departing from its range.

1. A discharge device comprising: a plurality of discharge means each ofwhich comprises a liquid drop discharge head provided with nozzles whichdischarge liquid mass having a certain flowability onto an object ontowhich liquid drops are to be discharged, a mounting board on which theliquid drop discharge head is mounted, and a connector which is arrangedon the mounting board; a holding means on which said plurality ofdischarge means are arranged; and a shifting means for relativelyshifting at least one of this holding means and said object onto whichliquid drops are to be discharged, wherein said plurality of dischargemeans are aligned to be separated into groups of discharge means and thedischarge means in one of said groups are orientated so that theirconnectors do not face the discharge means in the other of said groups,and so as to orientate a plane, on which the nozzles of said liquid dropdischarge heads are aligned, to face a surface of the object onto whichliquid drops are to be discharged at a predetermined distance.
 2. Adischarge device as described in claim 1, wherein said mounting board isformed in a rectangular shape, and said discharge means provides aliquid drop discharge head in one longitudinal end of said mountingboard and a connector in another longitudinal end of said mountingboard.
 3. A discharging device as described in any of claims 1 and 2,wherein said one of the groups of the discharge means, which isorientated so that their connectors do not face the connectors of theother of the groups of the discharge means, is arranged in pointsymmetry with the other of the groups of the discharge means.
 4. Adischarge device as described in any of claims 1 and 2, furthercomprising a liquid supplying means which supplies liquid mass to saiddischarge means, said liquid supplying means connects a supply tube frompositions between said groups of discharge means to each of saiddischarge means in each group of discharge means so as to supply theliquid mass to each of said discharge means.
 5. A discharge device asdescribed in claim 4, wherein said liquid supplying means comprises: atank which stores the liquid mass; a supplying tube through which saidliquid mass flows; and a pump which supplies the liquid mass in saidtank to the liquid drop discharge head of said liquid discharge meansthrough the supply tube; wherein a plurality of said supply tubes areprovided for each of said liquid drop discharge heads and which pipingpaths are located from positions between said groups of discharge meansto each of the discharge means.
 6. A discharge device as described inany of claims 1 and 2, further comprising a plurality of wirings whichconnects a control means to the connectors of the discharge means,wherein said plurality of wirings are wired from an outer periphery ofsaid holding means to said connectors.
 7. A discharge device asdescribed in any of claims 1 and 2, said discharge means comprises aplurality of discharge heads which are aligned along a plurality oflines which are cross to a direction along which said liquid dropdischarge heads are shifted relative to the surface of the object ontowhich liquid drops are to be discharged.
 8. A device for manufacturingan electro optical device which comprises a discharge device asdescribed in any of claims 1 and 2, wherein: said object onto whichliquid drops are to be discharged is a substrate upon which anelectro-luminescent layer is to be formed; and said electro-luminescentlayer is formed upon said substrate by discharging a liquid mass whichcontains an electro-luminescent material from predetermined nozzles insaid one or more liquid drop discharge heads onto said substrate, whilerelatively shifting said one or more liquid drop discharge heads withrespect to said substrate.
 9. A device for manufacturing an electrooptical device which comprises a discharge device as described in any ofclaims 1 and 2, wherein: said object onto which liquid drops are to bedischarged is one of a pair of substrates between which a liquid crystalis to be sandwiched; and a color filter is formed upon said substrate bydischarging a liquid mass which contains a color filter material frompredetermined nozzles in said one or more liquid drop discharge headsonto said substrate, while relatively shifting said one or more liquiddrop discharge heads with respect to said substrate plate.
 10. A devicefor manufacturing a color filter which comprises a discharge device asdescribed in claims 1 and 2, wherein: said object onto which liquiddrops are to be discharged is a substrate upon which a color filterwhich presents several colors is to be formed; and a color filter isformed upon said substrate plate by discharging a liquid mass whichcontains a color filter material from predetermined nozzles in said oneor more liquid drop discharge heads onto said substrate, whilerelatively shifting said one or more liquid drop discharge heads withrespect to said substrate plate.
 11. An electro optical devicecomprising: a substrate which is provided with a plurality ofelectrodes, and a plurality of electro-luminescent layers which areprovided in correspondence to said electrodes upon this substrate plate,and is made by using a plurality of discharge means and a holding meanson which said plurality of discharge means are mounted, wherein each ofsaid discharge means comprises a liquid drop discharge head which isprovided with nozzles which discharge liquid mass including anelectroluminescent material, a mounting board on which said liquid dropdischarge head is mounted, and a connector which is arranged on saidmounting board; said plurality of discharge means are aligned so as tobe separated into groups of discharge means, and are orientated so thatthe connectors in one of the groups do not face the discharge means inthe other of the groups, and said liquid drop discharge head dischargesa predetermined amount of the liquid mass to predetermined positions ofthe substrate so as to form said electro luminescent layer while movingrelative to the substrate plate by said holding means in a state where aplane on which said nozzles are arranged is directed along a surface ofthe substrate plate.
 12. An electro optical device comprising asubstrate and color filters of various colors, which are formed on thesubstrate, and are made by using a plurality of discharge means and aholding means on which said plurality of discharge means are mounted,wherein each of the discharge means comprises a liquid drop dischargehead which is provided with nozzles which discharge liquid massincluding a material for the color filter of predetermined color, amounting board on which said liquid drop discharge head is mounted, anda connector which is arranged on said mounting board; said plurality ofdischarge means are aligned so as to be separated into groups ofdischarge means, and are orientated so as not to face the connector inone of groups to the discharge means in the other of the groups, andsaid liquid drop discharge head discharges a predetermined amount of theliquid mass to predetermined positions of the substrate so as to formsaid color filters while moving relative to the substrate plate by saidholding means in a state where a plane on which said nozzles arearranged faces to a surface of the substrate plate at a predetermineddistance.
 13. Color filters which are formed so as to generate variouscolors on a substrate, and are made by using discharge means each ofwhich comprises a liquid drop discharge head in which a nozzle whichdischarges liquid mass comprising various colors of materials for colorfilters and a holding means on which said discharge means are arranged,wherein each of the discharge means comprises a liquid drop dischargehead which is provided with nozzles which discharge liquid massincluding a material for the color filter of various colors, a mountingboard on which said liquid drop discharge head is mounted, and aconnector which is arranged on said mounting board; said plurality ofdischarge means are aligned so as to be separated into groups ofdischarge means, and are orientated so that the connectors in one of thegroups do not face the discharge means in the other of the groups, andsaid liquid drop discharge head discharges a predetermined value of theliquid mass to predetermined positions of the substrate so as to formsaid filters while moving relative to the substrate plate by saidholding means in a state where a plane onto which said nozzles arearranged faces to a surface of the substrate at a predetermineddistance.
 14. A method of discharge liquid mass by using a holding meansand a plurality of discharge means which are mounted on said holdingmeans, wherein each of said discharge means comprises a liquid dropdischarge head which is provided with nozzles which discharge liquidmass having a certain flowability, a mounting board on which saidplurality of nozzles are mounted, and a connector which is arranged onsaid mounting board, said plurality of discharge means are aligned so asto be separated into groups of discharge means, and are orientated sothat the connectors in one of the groups do not face the discharge meansin the other of the groups, and said liquid drop discharge headdischarges a predetermined amount of the liquid mass to predeterminedpositions of the object onto which the liquid mass is discharged whilemoving relative to the object onto which liquid drops are discharged bysaid holding means in a state where a plane onto which said nozzles arearranged is directed along a surface of the substrate plate.
 15. Adischarge method as described in claim 14, wherein said mounting boardhas a rectangular shape, said liquid drop discharge head in each of saiddischarge heads is arranged in one longitudinal end of said mountingboard, said connector is arranged in the other longitudinal end of saidmounting board, and said nozzle of said liquid drop discharge head insaid discharge means discharges the liquid mass to an object onto whichliquid drops are discharged.
 16. A discharge method as described in anyof claims 14 and 15, wherein said one of the groups of the dischargemeans, which is orientated so that their connectors do not faceconnectors of the other of the groups of the discharge means, isarranged in point symmetry with the other of the groups of the dischargemeans, and said liquid mass is discharged from said nozzle of saidliquid drop discharge head of said discharge means to an object ontowhich liquid drops are to be discharged.
 17. A discharge method asdescribed in any of claims 14 and 15, wherein a supply tube is connectedfrom positions between said groups of discharge means to each of saiddischarge means so as to discharge said liquid mass to said object ontowhich liquid drops are discharged from said nozzle of said liquiddischarge head of said discharge means by supplying said liquid mass toeach of said discharge means.
 18. A discharge method as described in anyof claims 14 and 15, wherein said liquid mass is discharged by saiddischarge means which is connected with a control means by wiring whichis wired from an outer periphery of said holding means to eachconnector.
 19. A discharge method as described in any of claims 14 and15, wherein said plurality of discharge means are aligned in a directionwhich crosses a direction along which said liquid drop discharge head isshifted relative to the object onto which liquid drops are to bedischarged, and said liquid mass is discharged from the nozzle of theliquid drop discharge head of the discharge means to said object ontowhich liquid drops are to be discharged.
 20. A manufacturing method foran electro optical device by using the discharge method as described inany of claims 14 and 15, wherein said liquid mass contains anelectro-luminescent material, said object is a substrate, and anelectro-luminescent layer for an electro optical device is made bydischarging a predetermined amount of said liquid mass to apredetermined position of said substrate while relatively moving saidliquid drop discharge head along a surface of said substrate.
 21. Amanufacturing method for an electro optical device using the dischargemethod as described in any of claims 14 and 15, wherein said liquid masscontains a material for forming a color filter, said object onto whichliquid drops are to be discharged is a substrate, and a color filter ismade by discharging a predetermined amount of said liquid mass to apredetermined position of said substrate while relatively moving saidliquid drop discharge head along a surface of said substrate, relativeto said substrate.
 22. A manufacturing method for a color filter byusing the discharge method as described in any of claims 14 and 15,wherein said liquid mass contains a material for forming a color filter,said object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged is a substrate,and a color filter is made by discharging a predetermined amount of saidliquid mass to a predetermined position of said substrate whilerelatively moving said liquid drop discharge head along a surface ofsaid substrate.
 23. A device comprising a substrate and a predeterminedlayer which is formed by discharging a liquid mass having a certainflowability to said substrate and is made by using a plurality ofdischarge means and a holding means on which said discharge means aremounted, wherein each of said discharge means comprises a liquid dropdischarge head which is provided with nozzles which discharge liquidmass including an electro-luminescent material, a mounting board onwhich said liquid drop discharge head is mounted, and a connector whichis arranged on said mounting board; said plurality of discharge meansare aligned so as to be separated into groups of discharge means, andare orientated so that the connectors in one of the groups do not facethe discharge means in the other of the groups, and said liquid dropdischarge head discharges a predetermined amount of the liquid mass topredetermined positions of the substrate so as to form saidpredetermined layer while moving relative to the substrate by saidholding means in a state where a plane on which said nozzles arearranged is directed along a surface of the substrate.
 24. Amanufacturing system for producing a device comprising the dischargedevice as described in any of claims 1 and 2, wherein said object ontowhich the liquid drops are to be discharged is a substrate of thedevice, and said predetermined layer is formed by discharging the liquidmass from the liquid drop discharge head to the substrate during aprocess of forming the predetermined layer on the substrate.
 25. Amethod for manufacturing a device comprising a substrate using thedischarge method as described in any of claims 14 and 15 by dischargingliquid mass to the substrate which is the object onto which liquid dropsare to be discharged so as to form the predetermined layer.